I Loved You First
by thesameasmine
Summary: Faberry Time-travel fic. Slightly A/U-ish "You and I are married in the future. Yes I know it's difficult to understand. I mean, me... gay? But yes, it's been almost three years."
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the Glee characters belong to their creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.**

* * *

Prologue

Today was probably the most important day of her life. Everything in Quinn's body was shaking. She knew what lied ahead if she followed this path, sorrow and pain, but also great happiness.

"I do." She answered. The heaviness of those two words set her free. For better or for worse, she was Rachel's now.


	2. Chapter 1: The Time Traveler's Wife

Chapter 1: The Time Traveler's Wife

**May-September, 2013**

Quinn Fabray was nothing if not determined. Yale had accepted her yes, but she had never truly felt like herself in the ivy league university. Her freshman year had just ended and she felt there was no better way of saying goodbye to the semester than with a cup of her favorite cappuccino at her favorite coffee place on Campus. When she turned around to go grab a table, someone bumped into her _hard_ and Quinn's coffee flew through the air. Turning around to face her aggressor, she found nothing but a flyer on the floor about Columbia University's acting summer program.

Quinn took the program and fell in love with the workshop, with the professors and her classmates; but most of all, Quinn fell in love with the city. New York was unlike anything Quinn had ever experienced, it was filled with life and movement and there were always a million things to do. She made more friends during that summer than in her whole freshman year at Yale. There really was no doubt as to why Quinn transferred. Her and this city were meant to be. Before she knew it, September had arrived.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Quinn looked up to the sky where huge drops of water were falling, the noise completely overpowering everything else. She probably had immersed herself so deeply into her own world that forgot to pay attention to details; like people entering the Low Library partly wet, or the added coldness to this fall afternoon. Quinn sighed and opened her backpack, her wallet wasn't there. She felt her chest constrict with panic and kept repeating "no's" in her head while she searched every possible pocket on the bag. Checking her own pockets she only found her student id card and some gum. "Okay now you have got to be fucking kidding me!"

Since the morning had been beautiful, she thought taking a walk to the university would be the nice. Now she regretted it terribly. You live in New York now for Christ's sake! No money, meant no subway and it wasn't as if she had a MetroCard either.

Quinn had always been cursed with all types of cards, most phones and even watches, not to mention that the first time she held a compass, the needle only pointed towards herself and never north —Unless she happened to be standing towards it of course- She thought maybe she was a bit of a magnetic person. Regardless, she had learned to lead a life without cards. She always carried the money she'd need with her; plus a hundred dollar bill inside her shoe in case of emergencies. Most times she was careful.

Before going to college, her mom had given her a credit card, which Quinn wrapped around a cloth and kept at a distance in the bottom drawer of her bedside table, only to be used in case of an emergency, and by somebody else of course. Smart phones were a pain in the ass too, they glitched all the time. The only phone Quinn ever trusted was an old blackberry one that for some reason, never failed her. Columbia offered her a student MetroCard and she accepted it. It never worked for her though, so she went back to cash.

She took out money from her bank account withdrawing it the old-fashioned way. It was always her and pensioners at the bank doing the line for the cashier. She did not mind it though, she always got interesting conversation from the people waiting with her.

Hope soared in her chest once again; one of the first conversations she had at a bank in New York City was with a 77 year-old lady, who advised her to always carry an umbrella with her. The object came out of her backpack almost like a holy grail with a glorious soundtrack and everything. Quinn opened the red umbrella and started her walk back to her dorm. She decided to take Broadway and simply enjoy the view since there was no way she was getting in the subway.

The air was cold when it entered her lungs and came out in smoke once she exhaled it; and once the rain touched the ground, it would splash upwards and get on her boots. Quinn wondered if someone had thought of making shoe-umbrellas. That's ridiculous! She laughed to herself.

"Quinn! Quinn!"

The blonde beauty stopped on her tracks and turned around. The person running towards her in the rain was none other than a very odd looking Rachel Berry. To say that she was wet was an understatement. She was soaked. Her hair sticking to her face, her mascara running down her cheeks, her face pale and thin.

"I need you to promise me you won't find me again." Rachel took a deep breath and started coughing. Quinn was still in shock to see such a gaunt version of Rachel. Once she recovered from it, she covered Rachel with her red umbrella as well.

"Thanks." Rachel smiled weakly. From up close Quinn could see immense eye-bags under the mascara.

"I w-wasn't even looking for you." Quinn spoke slowly.

"Please Quinn." Rachel was crying now. "You deserve better than me. Than what little I gave you. Don't find me again!"

Quinn didn't know how to respond to Rachel. All she saw was a poor woman begging for something she did not understand.

"I won't bother you anymore. I hope you have a happy life Quinn. I lo- Remember what I just said. Goodbye." And with that, Rachel turned around and strutted away under the rain using her cardigan to cover her head.

Quinn stood there and watched her go.

That was uncomfortable to say the least. Rachel looked awful; that's what drugs did to you. Quinn thought about contacting Rachel's parents about this. Either way she should have expected to find Rachel in New York at least once. I mean, the city was huge but it could still happen, and now it had.

Frankly speaking, she hadn't thought about Rachel in ages. After not wanting to go back home for Finn's memorial, she just didn't have the gall to show her face to anyone at McKinley ever again, or at least for a while. Santana's _"fuck you"_ after she told her she wouldn't go, also helped in keeping a firm decision.

What was wrong with herself? Why couldn't she just go and cry for a little bit with everyone else like a normal person? She still remembers acutely the way her hands were shaking when Santana gave her the news. Finn was only nineteen, and now he just didn't exist anymore.

Quinn thought of herself as weak for not wanting to deal with it. But the truth of the matter simply was that she didn't want to be surrounded by pain anymore.

And now look at Rachel. Look at what Finn's death has done to the poor girl.

* * *

Quinn arrived at her dorm pleased with the fact that she didn't have to share it with anyone. Good thinking was always done in peace. She took off her boots along with the rest of her clothes and entered her bathroom. What she needed now was a long warm bath.

Standing by the faucet of the bathroom was one pale Rachel Berry. Quinn screamed at the sight of her and ran out taking the sheets on her bed and using them to cover herself.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Quinn was enraged. She couldn't believe the nerve this girl had.

"Rachel! Rachel get out of the bathroom this instant or so help me God!" Quinn marched back into the bathroom yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Quinn c'mon! I don't do this on purpose. I'm sorry I scared y-You look so young! What year is this now? " Rachel seemed to be trying to take a peek at Quinn from under the sheets covering her. Quinn's breathing was still erratic and her heart-rate was all over the place. Her face contorted in confusion at Rachel's question; nevertheless, by the time the smaller woman had finished talking, Quinn was shaking her head in complete dismissal.

"Okay Berry, what are you doing here? You're the one that told me not to _find_ you! And now you _follow_ me to my dorm room?"

Rachel gasped dramatically. "This is _your _first time! Isn't it?."

"First time what? First time being stalked?" Quinn struggled to see clearly, it seemed like rage had blinded her quite literally. "Get out! Get out! _Leave_!" Quinn started backing Rachel towards the door. "I don't know what's wrong with you but you either leave or I'm calling the police."

There was an amused smile in Rachel's face.

"Get out damn it!" Quinn's sudden movement made the sheets slip thus showing a bit more than her cleavage.

"Careful with the show you're putting Quinn." Rachel laughed to herself. Meanwhile Quinn was rearranging the sheets to better cover her naked body. Rachel didn't look worn out like the last time they had met. She actually looked healthy and lively. But there was something different about this Rachel, a self-assurance Quinn had never known in Rachel before, one that didn't seem to come from external factors, but from within. "Tell me, what year is this? How old are you right now?" Rachel practically belted out.

"Just leave! What is wrong with you? I've always been a year older than you!"

Rachel inhaled and exhaled quickly. "You told me I was terrible." She sighed. "But I didn't know it was gonna go this badly. Why don't I just go in the bathroom and you get dressed? Then you can knock on the door when you're ready and we can talk about this." Rachel started towards the bathroom but Quinn closed the door on her.

"Berry if you go in that bathroom I'll grab my phone and look up the number to the nearest mental institution." Quinn's determination was final.

Rachel pushed her to the ground and straddled her. "You don't mess with me Quinn Fabray. I know you're not as tough as you pretend to be." Quinn's arms were trapped between Rachel's thighs. "I wanted to go easy on you, but it seems you're not having any of it! Now calm down and tell me how old you are."

Quinn wanted to spit on her, who did she think she was? This was breaking and entering _plus_ assault!

"I'm nineteen damn it."

"Such a filthy mouth. I'm so glad I fixed that." Rachel moved her head from side to side in apprehension. "Well, good to know that you're not a minor. If you're nineteen it means it's 2013, right?" Quinn could not believe she was naked, covered with a white sheet like some sort of ghost and with Rachel Berry on top of her. This has to be something out of the Twilight Zone.

"You look like an adult." Quinn mused.

"Now you notice? I just turned 28! of course I look like an adult! 2013... that means you just transferred to Columbia, right?"

"You're scaring me Rachel."

"Listen." Rachel looked down, her hair falling like a curtain between them. "I'm from the future. Oh my God! I've always wanted to say that!" Rachel applauded her self. "So not the point." She took a breath. "I'm gonna get up, but don't freak out okay? Just get dressed and we'll talk about this." Rachel got off of Quinn and stood tall.

Quinn looked at Rachel in a whole new light. Her loose bun holding her hair up, she had a white tank top and skimpy pajama shorts. Never mind about her clothes, there was something about the air around her, she seemed less insecure. "Get up Quinn."

The blonde got up and sat on the bed. "I think I'm probably dreaming."

"You're not dreaming. This is all happening." Rachel reclined herself on the wall and crossed her arms. "Okay." Rachel cleared her throat. "This might come as a bit of a shock, but here goes nothing: You and I are married in the future. Yes, I know it's difficult to understand. I mean, me... gay? But yes, it's been almost three years." Rachel stared off dreamily into the horizon. By now Quinn was lying in bed curled up with her back to Rachel. "Quinn are you listening? Quinn?" Rachel got into bed and spooned the younger woman.

"It's finally happened. I've lost my mind." Quinn whispered in a monotonous tone.

"Aww sweetie... I know it's unbelievable. Actually... I didn't believe it myself when you told me I could time travel. But it's true." After a pause she asked. " What's the exact date Quinn?" and started rubbing Quinn's arm.

"C-could you please stop spooning me?"

Rachel backed away from Quinn. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just too used to touching you. I was spooning you before I got here, rubbing your belly and feeling little Maria move. Oh yeah, in my time you're pregnant by the way." She took a deep breath. "This is so awkward. I'm sorry, it must be coming off as some sort of delusion I get it."

Quinn remained quietly in shock. "Why are you here?" She asked after she found her voice, turning around to face the older woman.

"I'm not sure, this is sort of episodic for me. I feel my whole body tingle and suddenly I'm not _when_ I'm supposed to be. This is only my third time and you don't even wanna know what happened on my second one." Rachel looked at the hazel eyes of the woman she loved most in her life and felt guilty for leaving her wife alone on that bed, with no one to sing her to sleep. "What's the exact date Quinn? I need some context." Rachel seemed to be speaking half to herself and half to Quinn.

Quinn thought about the Rachel she had seen not an hour ago. She seemed so tired and lost. Both women stared at the ceiling now, instead of each other. Quinn was still trying to process the end of her life as she knew it. After this weird illusion was over she would commit herself to an asylum. "When was the last time you saw me?" Rachel turned on the bed in order to face Quinn again.

"Right before I got here. It was raining and everything was awkward." Quinn swallowed. "You looked like a drug-addict." After a pause, she continued. "You told me not to find you." Maybe all of this was a manifestation of her subconscious. Maybe in reality she was simply talking to herself, and that side of herself simply decided to look like an older version of Rachel Berry.

"I don't remember that." Rachel placed one hand on her mouth in silent pondering. "Are you sure it was me? I've never in my life looked like an addict. Even when I did Fantine I think I looked more like a hobo than anything else."

"You were the one that came to me. Of course it was you! Who else could've been?"

Quinn sighed.

Rachel scrunched up her eyebrows. "Then all I can come up with is that you saw a future me. Someone that I am not yet, but that I will be." Quinn had stood up and was getting dressed in front of Rachel. "Did you hear what I just said? That means this is not really your first time Quinn!"

Finally with some underwear on. Quinn turned to face Rachel. "I'm really hoping for you to leave."

"Why would I be on drugs though? Did I tell you anything important?" Rachel sat up on the bed now.

"You told me not to find you! It was creepy and weird okay?" Quinn felt suffocated by Rachel's presence.

"Why wouldn't I want you to find me? How strange." Rachel got up from the bed at once and went over to Quinn.

"It's September 17th, 2013." The Columbia student stated and then turned around towards her closet looking for something to wear.

"Whoa." Rachel said almost inaudibly. For a moment all that could be heard was Quinn's ruffling with the clothes on her closet. "Are you planning to go to my birthday?"

"Gosh! This delusion is so fucking random." Quinn muttered, still working on putting a t-shirt on.

"Watch your mouth Fabray. Now, are you or are you not planning to go to my birthday?"

"No! Okay! I haven't seen you since you wanted to go topless for that ridiculous student-film, okay? I'm pretty sure you don't want me to go to your birthday."

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "You have to go. You_ have_ to go to my birthday party Quinn. You gave me the perfect gift. I don't know what will happen if you don't go!"

The blonde remained quiet. Swallowing hard, she finally spoke. "Why is this happening? If all you're saying it's true. If you come from the future and we're married and expecting a baby. Then how come your Quinn hasn't explained to you everything that's gonna happen?"

Rachel's look turned dark. "I've asked you to tell me everything. But you always refuse. _You _won't tell me and I don't know why." Rachel took a deep breath. "You have to be there. At Keybar on 13th street. The Friday on the week of my birthday." Rachel looked down to her feet. "Y-you get me a pen." her brown eyes fluttered. "I feel dizzy." And just like that she was gone. Quinn blinked repeatedly. Making an effort to focus her vision. One second Rachel was there, and the next... she wasn't.

**June-July, 2021**

Quinn sighed in exasperation. Her wife wanted them to take a picture at the airport's entrance even though they were already running late for check-in.

"I can't believe we're gonna be late because of a _selfie_." Quinn's smile did not quite reach her eyes, and a blush was creeping up her neck.

"Honey can't you just enjoy the present? It's our honey moon!" Rachel took three more quick snaps with her cellphone and then folded it and put it back in her pocket. "And off we go!" Holding tightly to her suitcase, she offered her free hand to her wife.

Quinn smiled tenderly, she had a weakness for this woman. Taking Rachel's hand in hers, the both of them entered JFK.

After a moment, Rachel let go of her baggage to put a hand up to her mouth. "Oh my God! I forgot to tell you I checked us in on-line! No wonder you're being such a cranky-pants."

"And you _just_ remembered to tell me?" asked Quinn indignantly.

Rachel continued walking, suitcase in hand, leaving Quinn with her question.

Once they got to the line at the airport to check in the baggage, Quinn released the breath she had been holding.

"Excuse me miss?" Quinn looked up to where the voice was coming from. A tall woman was regarding Rachel. She had a small child with her, and Quinn could not tell whether it was a boy or a girl.

"Yes?" Rachel smiled warmly at the woman.

"Are you Rachel Berry the Broadway actress?" The woman's eyes shone in awe.

"Why yes! Yes I am. Nice to meet you. And you are?" Rachel extended her hand to the woman.

"Vicky! My name's Vicky Graham, and this is my son Taylor. I'm such a big fan! I went to see you in Les Miserables almost a year ago. Would you mind?" The woman offered Rachel some paper and a black sharpie.

"Not in the least!" Rachel assured her. The now married couple had this worked down to a T. Quinn automatically turned around and bended over, giving Rachel her back to use for support as Rachel signed the paper as prolixly as possible, it even had a star at the end and everything.

"Here you go! Oh! and I'm a Mrs. now! This is my wife Quinn Fabray. She's also an actress."

Quinn smiled shyly at Vicky. She loved it when Rachel called her _wife_.

"Oh my God! Did you guys meet working together?" Vicky picked up Taylor from the floor and was holding him in her arms now

"This one doesn't do musicals. No matter how much I want her to! Rachel bumped Quinn with her elbow. "We met in high school actually and now we're off to our Honey Moon!"

Vicky grinned kindly. "Where are you guys going?"

"To Belize! We have a connection flight in Miami." Rachel made Quinn surround her with her arms from behind as she rested her body against the blonde woman's front.

Quinn gave Rachel a quick peck on her cheek and tighten her hold around her wife's stomach.

"You guys make a cute couple. Thank you so much for the autograph and enjoy the honey moon!" Vicky turned with Taylor in her arms and left them.

Quinn smiled contentedly and breathed in her wife's scent. "You smell so good Baby. Is it that new shampoo you bought? The purple one?"

Rachel hummed in response and melted just a little more in her wife's arms. "I love it when people ask for my autograph."

"I know you do Mrs." Quinn whispered in her ear.

"I also love it when you hold me." Rachel confessed.

"You better!" Quinn started tickling Rachel as best as she could. A huge cackle could be heard from afar, Rachel was never any good at controlling her laughter and Quinn wouldn't have it any other way.

Once in the plane. Rachel held tightly to the blonde's hand. "We'll be up in the air in no time honey and you won't even notice it. Try to fall asleep and you'll skip it." Rachel looked at Quinn with understanding.

A drop of sweat was already traveling down Quinn's neck. She did not enjoy take-off. All that turbulence reminded her of the accident she had when younger.

Either way she was simply too nervous to find sleep. Quinn looked directly at her wife's brown eyes. Those orbs were her home and nothing else mattered. They would get through this together.

Once in Miami, they had to wait two hours for their flight to Central America. Rachel started wiggling her feet impatiently so Quinn got up from her seat at the gate and went over to buy her wife a sandwich.

"It has lots of meat on it. Enjoy!" Quinn placed the sandwich on Rachel's lap and sat down by her side.

"It doesn't you dork!" After eating her veggie sandwich Rachel's foot did not wiggle again.

* * *

Quinn could feel drops of sweat traveling down her spine. It was refreshing since even if it was night time, it was still pretty hot in Belize. Regardless, the truth of the matter was that she was sweating like a pig not because of the weather. A cab from the resort picked them up and Rachel slept in Quinn's arms all the way there. Quinn's thoughts ran a million different directions and she started shaking from nerves. She had spent years dreading this moment and now it was finally here. Feeling the weight of an unconscious Rachel by her side made her feel both strong and weak.

Once they arrived, Quinn carried the brunette on her back whilst a bellboy helped her with their suitcases.

The sounds of the waves grew louder, as they got nearer to their cabana. Quinn made sure to tip the bellboy after she had tucked Rachel into bed.

* * *

"Quinn? Quinn where are you?" Quinn was just getting out of the bathroom after taking a bath.

"I'm right here Rach." Quinn sat down on the bed by Rachel and ran her fingers through brown bangs.

"Take off that towel and make love to me." Rachel whispered as she stroked her fingers on Quinn's collarbone.

"There's something important I have to tell you Baby." Quinn's face suddenly conveyed too much seriousness and it confused Rachel.

"You're not gay." The smaller girl joked.

The blonde bent down and pressed her lips firmly against Rachel's. "I'm serious Rach. This is important."

Rachel sat up on the bed and took her wife's hands in hers. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Quinn looked down to their joined hands and inhaled profoundly. "Something- Something... _unbelievable _is gonna happen on this trip. You're gonna-" Quinn cleared her throat. "You're gonna travel through time Rach."

Rachel stared blankly at hazel eyes. "Because we're gonna role-play you mean?

The blonde had to chuckle at that. "No Rach. I mean it literally, as in transporting yourself to a different time."

"Like a _Time-Machine-sci-fi-novel _type of thing?" The brunette scrunched her eyes. This was certainly a really weird honey moon joke. Even for Quinn.

"Yes! Well... No. Actually no. Not like that at all. I don't think you can time-travel at will —or with a machine for that matter— You just sort of _puff_ and you're gone."

"I'm not finding this funny Quinn." Rachel managed to get out of bed and went over to the mini fridge for some water.

"Baby please. Don't be upset. I'm just telling you the truth. You can time-travel. You _will_ time-travel on our honey moon. I know how crazy it sounds. Believe me I _do. _But I'm telling you the truth."

"And you tell me this now? I have to find out that you're obviously schizophrenic _after_ we've married?" Rachel was walking around the bedroom, water bottle in hand flailing her arms like a mad woman and spilling some of the water on the wooden floor.

Quinn was kneeling on the bed now. "I am_ not _schizophrenic! I'm telling you the truth!."

"What that I can time-travel? _That's_ the truth?"

"Yes Rachel! _That's _the truth."

"And you never told me about this because..." There was a slight pause in her speech for dramatic effect. "You knew I would think you were crazy and therefore never marry you."

"No! No it's not like that Rach."

"How could you think so little of me? I love you Quinn. You could've told me before the wedding and I would've married you either way. I will help you through anything. In sickness and in health, okay honey? I'll always take care of you. There is no difference with mental deceases."

Quinn groaned in frustration. "I'm not insane! You said I should tell you right before it starts happening."

Rachel looked deeply into her wife's eyes. "What do you mean _I _said?" Once again she knelt by the mini-fridge. She needed something stronger than water for this. She took a little vodka bottle and gulped half of it right away. Part of her expected Quinn to yell "Psyched!" and be done with it; but another part of herself felt that Quinn really did think she was telling the truth.

"You visit me. When I'm younger... You visited me from the future. When I say "_you said_" I say it in the past tense because for _me_ it has already happened. But for you it hasn't yet." Quinn placed both palms on her face and groaned in frustration. "I _know_ I sound crazy. I _know _it. But it's the truth, and I just want you to be prepared for when you start time-traveling, that's all." Getting out of bed and putting her hands on Rachel's shoulder Quinn pleaded. "Why would I lie about this?" Rachel gave Quinn an _are-you-fucking-kidding-me? _Look. "Besides 'cause I may have some sort of mental disease of course." The taller woman continued. "See it like this Rach: Once our Honey Moon is over, I'm either telling the truth, or you need to get me some professional help." Quinn took what was left of Rachel's vodka and finished it in one shot. "Only time will tell which one is it. For now, let's just go to sleep Baby. We can pretend we didn't have this conversation."

Rachel was worried now. As she let Quinn take her into bed, all she could think was that they needed to get back to New York and get that professional help right away. Quinn held her in her arms, whispering _I-love-you's_ to her ear every now and then. Rachel's throat still burned thanks to the vodka, but it did not matter, because for the first time in years, Rachel was speechless.

* * *

The next morning Rachel woke up to see blond hair between her legs.

"Good morning Baby." Quinn lifted up her head with a shit-eating grin, the lower part of her face wet with Rachel.

"This- _mmfph- _This doesn't make up for last night." Rachel's back arched up in pleasure.

Quinn lifted her face again. "I know Baby. I'm sorry. Do you want me to stop?"

"Don't you dare stop Quinn Fabray." Rachel's eyes were dark with wanton. With both hands she pushed her wife head back down to where she needed her the most.

After a few seconds, Quinn lifted her face again. "It's Quinn Berry-Fabray now."

* * *

Rachel and Quinn wanted to make the most out of their vacations. The both of them were planning to work on very time-consuming projects when the two weeks were over, and as such, quality time with the other meant everything right now. The couple went to get massages together, they went to the beach. Cave tubing was specially terrifying for Rachel, but once she saw the beauty nature had to offer, she understood there was nothing to fear in the first place.

At night, they would go to dinner together and some mornings they would stay in bed, happy to share each other in every possible way. They were happier than ever. Nonetheless, Rachel always kept what Quinn had told her on the back of her mind. Sometimes she would be immersed in so much bliss, she did not think there was anything more she could want out of life, and then the next second, her mind would bring up the first night at the resort.

"Honey?" Rachel poked Quinn's shoulder. Both women were suntanning by the beach in front of their cabana.

"Yes Baby?" Quinn pushed up her sunglasses to address her wife. July's unforgiving sun was shining down on them, Rachel's skin had already taken a deliciously dark color and Quinn couldn't help but appreciate the display.

"So... Let's say I believe you. Let's say I can time-travel. How does it work exactly?" The brunette had turned over and was now resting the upper half of her body on her elbows and looking down on the blonde.

Quinn's mouth opened a tiny fraction. Closing it quickly the blonde replied. "You told m- Well, apparently your skin starts to tingle as if a million ants were walking on you, and then you feel light-headed when suddenly... You're not _when_ you were before."

"Okay." Rachel turned to lay on her back again.

The next morning, the blonde got up from the bed and went for a jog. She was starting to feel anxious. There were only two days left of their honey moon and Rachel hadn't travel yet. Part of her hoped that she was in fact crazy. But how could she have imagined all of _that_? She felt cold where the wind blew on her sweaty skin and a shiver ran all the way down to her feet. She ran twice around the resort and once she felt a little better about her situation, she decided to return.

Walking up the steps of her cabana and opening the door, Quinn found Rachel on the floor, pale and shivering.

"Rachel!" Quinn knelt down and helped her wife to sit up. Rachel's skin was cold to the touch, and her lips white and trembling.

"I'm so cold." Rachel muttered. Quinn lifted her up and took her to bed.

"Did you travel?" Quinn gulped.

Rachel nodded weakly. "I think the both of us are gonna need that professional help."

* * *

**A/N: Reviews = Love!  
**


	3. Chapter 2: Finn Hudson

Chapter 2: Finn Hudson

**November, 2013**

Quinn did not commit herself to an asylum after her meeting with Rachel from the future. She promised herself that if said hallucination ever returned, she would definitively do it though. In the meantime, why waste a perfectly good education at Columbia?

"Don't fall asleep on me again! You know we have finals next month! We need to get it together Fabray."

"Coffee. Now." Quinn managed to mumble. Her face rested on her arms, and her arms on a book about the Stanislavsky method.

Libby placed a can of RedBull near Quinn's grasp. "I bought six of these. It'll have to be enough."

Quinn drank the sugary liquid and grimaced. It tasted too sweet for Quinn's taste.

"Remember my shopaholic dad?" Without waiting for a reply, Libby continued. "For God knows what reason he bought me these on Amazon last week." Libby got a bunch of pens out of her bag pack. "Choose one." She instructed Quinn.

The pens themselves were strange, at one end they were really fat, maybe even uncomfortably so if one were to hold them for writing.

Libby opened the lid it had on the fat end and one by one showed Quinn that each pen had a different stamp. One was a butterfly, other a happy face and so on.

Quinn's mouth opened lightly when Libby showed her the third one. "I want this one." She said as she took the yellow pen from Libby's hand.

"You got it." Libby winked.

They went back to studying some more, passing on to Strasberg now.

"All this theory is driving me insane." Libby complained. "I'm more of a hands-on learner."

There came no reply from Quinn.

"Fabray?" She poked Quinn on the shoulder. "Earth calling Fabray!"

Hazel eyes closed for a moment. "Do you think it's possible for someone to predict the future?"

"Do _you_?" The dirty-blonde chuckled.

"No! Of course not." Quinn went back to reading her book.

Olivia went back to her book as well, chastising herself for her commentary. Maybe Quinn wanted to talk to her about something other than class, and she had just ruined the opportunity. Stupid! Stupid!

"Quinn, what was that about?" Libby inquired as gently as she could.

The blonde sighed. "Nothing... It's just that- I don't know. I think maybe I'm supposed to give this pen to someone. Maybe I subconsciously told myself to. "

"I'm not sure I follow." Olivia tried to get a better look at the blonde's expression but she kept looking down to her book.

Both girls had met over the summer at an acting summer program. Olivia did not go to Columbia as well but Barnard, and Quinn took some of her classes at Barnard because of an agreement between the sister institutions. When both girls realized they were neighbors as well, it seemed only reasonable to start a friendship.

To Olivia, Quinn was a mystery. Always aloof, always proper and very much like a carbon copy of the perfect blonde all-American girl. Libby was sure there had to be something more to Quinn's poise. What that was, she was far from sure.

In the meantime, they had classes together, and by now were a little more than acquaintances.

"Never mind." The Ohio born and raised girl said.

Libby felt hurt by Quinn's dismissal but said nothing.

* * *

**December 18th, 2013**

Rachel was having a bad birthday. It was a Wednesday after all, she couldn't expect much from a Wednesday. But somehow she had. Pathetic.

She literally got out of bed with her left foot because a stray cat Kurt had decided to keep, slept all night on her right one. It was dangerous to step on a foot with no-feeling, right? So she got out of bed with the left one and hopped to the bathroom. After some massaging on the shower, she was finally regaining some sensation on her numbed leg. But things didn't get better from then onwards.

This was her last year as a teenager.

She took her classes, got all her dance steps wrong and sang all the wrong notes, and after a while, decided to give up altogether. Skipping her last class she went directly to her job at the Spotlight Diner; she hoped to convince Gunther -her boss- that if she started earlier, she could leave earlier.

She really needed to work on her convincing skills.

At least they were paying her for the extra hours. Santana and Kurt showed up to work late and filling-in two pairs of shoes was not easy. But Rachel managed. She jogged to and from the tables, she smiled gracefully and most important of all, she took all the tips.

Unfortunately, she broke several plates in one of her joggings and the extra tips went to pay for the plates. Also, cutting her finger trying to pick up the tiny pieces of ceramics did not improve her mood.

Eventually, her sense of humor took a turn for the bitter and when a customer complained that his soup was too hot, she asked him if he wanted her to blow on it for him. Gunther told her to just take the rest of the day off and to come back with a better attitude the next day.

On days like these she really wondered if coming to New York had been the right choice. She would've had an easier life back in Ohio, ordering take-out with her dads and watching movies together. Having her elliptical and not the cold weather of NYC every time she jogged. Because no way in the world was she gonna pay for a gym membership.

When she got home to a bunch of dirty dishes and cat pee on her bedroom rug, she threw herself on the bed to cry. She cried and cried.

She wanted to feel special on her birthday, she wanted her nineteenth birthday to mean something different in her life. Mark something in her. But all she had was a putrescent stench to fall asleep to.

She dreamed of Finn. Again.

He was dressed in his football uniform and was asking her to marry him all over again. He told her about the children they would have together and the house where they'd live. He held her close to his chest and she could hear his steady heartbeat. The part of her that knew she was dreaming told her that Finn was dead; and that his warmth and his steady beating was all fake.

She looked up from his chest to see that charming smile of his. He was crying too, and his tears felt warm to the touch of her finger.

It was all so real, and Rachel hated herself for not believing it to be true. She hated that she knew Finn was just a figment of her imagination and their lives together was nothing but a passing thought in her head. She never wanted to wake up from this.

This sorrow mixed with the happiness of being in his arms once again, was heaven to Rachel. The past few months since his death had been hard on her. She slept less, because all she would see every time she closed her eyes was his face, she lost her appetite, her sense of humor and pretty much her will.

The rational part of her brain kept telling her that Finn would not have wanted to see her like this. To see her broken and unable to repair herself. Regardless of those thoughts, nothing changed. Telling herself to do things for him, only made her miss him more. Telling herself that he would have wanted better for her, only made her melancholy grow stronger because it reminded her that he was not there in the first place.

Rachel saw her own weakness reflected in this act of self-indulgence, letting him hold her. Letting him caress her hair and tell her he loved her.

Suddenly, Rachel realized that she could not feel his arms around her. Searching his face again, Rachel met only a bright light. Looking downwards, she could see herself asleep in her own room, but the image got smaller and smaller and before she knew it, she was looking down on New York City. She felt like just letting go of the light, but she somehow knew she had to keep holding on. No matter what.

She opened her eyes and found herself back in her room. Night still reigned the city and the only light she could see in her room was that of a glow-in-the-dark sticker in the shape of a star on her bedroom's ceiling. Then the image turned blurry with tears.

"_You named a star after me?"_

"_No, I thought about that, but then I named it Finn Hudson. Because there's already a star named Rachel Berry and she's right here on earth and she's brighter than any of those stars up there. So I just wanted to make sure that whenever she feels lonely she can look up in the sky, and no matter where I am, she can know that I'm looking down on her."_

Rachel was sure there was no star shining brightly on earth anymore.

**December 20th, 2013**

Walking through the city at night always gave her a sense of rush through her chest. There was a bolt of lightning now that jumped from lung to lung all the way down to her stomach. She realized it was fear.

New York City was not safe at night. Somebody could mug her -or worse- rape her and at 5'6'' and only 116lbs, her chances of surviving any of those were slim.

But the staccato in her heart was not because of theoretical scenarios of danger. But because on this particular Friday she was walking on 13th street towards a certain -hopefully imaginary- birthday party she had not been invited to.

She asked herself why she was doing this. Nothing but awkwardness could result from this.

She needed to find something out though. That hallucination three months ago, it had to mean something. She thought about just entering the bar and seeing nothing but random strangers. She would find more comfort in discovering she had a mental disease than entering and finding Rachel and her friends, and thus for her hallucination to be right.

Oh God. What if her hallucination was right?

There was no coming back from that.

Quinn took a deep breath and opened Keybar's door. The room had brick walls all around but it was well illuminated. The bar itself shone with a red light and matched well with the warm tones of the yellow lights all around.

It was a bit rustic for Quinn's taste.

The blonde entered and went straight to the bar to order the cheapest beer there was. The bartender took a good look at her and then simply shrugged and gave her the House's beer. Quinn searched the pocket in her coat for some cash and felt the pen Libby had given her last month. Taking out a five-dollar bill, she paid for her drink and then just sat there smiling like a goof.

She was just crazy.

Relief filled her body like water falling from a hot shower. After this one beer to celebrate her lunacy she would go back to her dorm and sleep soundly.

"Quinn? Quinn Fabray is that you?" a soft male voice asked her from her left side.

Turning around, Quinn met Blaine Anderson.

Yes, they had been in Glee Club together back in high school and no, she did not remember them ever being close or at least close enough for him to give her a hug as a way of greeting.

Patting him lightly on the back. Quinn smiled brightly at the black-haired boy.

"Blaine Anderson. It's good to see you."

Blaine clapped his hands together. "They didn't tell me you were coming too! You look amazing Quinn. But don't sit here by yourself! We're all sitting at the back."

A chill went down Quinn's spine. All she did was smile at Blaine and stay quiet.

After a prolonged pause. Blaine's eyes widened.

"You're not here for Rachel's birthday?"

Quinn was still smiling as she shook her head.

"Gosh. This is awkward." Blaine was now staring at his own shoes."Come anyway!"

Quinn felt light-headed.

She wasn't crazy. She had the power to predict the future through strange visions. Wait... That still classifies as crazy.

"Come Quinn! I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you." Blaine took Quinn's beer in one hand, and with the other he led her through the crowd to the back of the bar where there was a secluded open rectangle of furnished wood where the birthday party was actually taking place.

Part of her really wanted to see Rachel. Would her eyes reveal that maybe she was in fact at Quinn's dorm room three months ago and all of this was a convoluted prank? Some other part of Quinn wanted to just run as fast and far as possible. Humiliation was the worse thing a Fabray could feel and it was to be avoided at all costs.

Crashing a party was low in Quinn's totem-pole of dignity.

Quinn stood there in her navy-blue dress and black tights; she hadn't even taken off her coat.

"Guys you'll never guess who I just stumbled upon!" Blaine was still holding Quinn's hand and the blonde was positioned slightly behind him.

"Not the bartender because I don't see you with those shots we asked you." Santana countered.

"Hi guys." Quinn's contained voice still carried through.

Everybody turned.

Rachel was thinner than before. Kurt's hair could not get any higher, there was one girl Quinn did not know and then there was Santana whose hair was even longer now, and her nails were extremely long too. Quinn shuddered.

"Well, as I live and breathe, it's Quinn Fabray!" Kurt raised a hand up to his chest.

Quinn nodded towards Kurt. "It's good seeing you."

"What are you doing here?" Santana inquired.

Quinn looked at the brunette straight in the eye. "I was having a beer. That beer actually." She pointed towards the glass Blaine was still holding.

Blaine gestured for Quinn to sit down and gave her back the beer. "I'll go get those shots now."

"I meant New York. What are you doing here in New York?"

The small space had turned silent since the blonde's arrival. Quinn looked at everyone in the eye. The girl she did not know, had blue hair and big brown eyes.

"I live here now."

"Since when?" Kurt joined in on the interrogation.

"Since June."

By now the girl Quinn did not know was talking quietly to Rachel and Quinn felt relief that she was not everyone's center of interest anymore. Although she was pretty sure Rachel was giving her some context as to who Quinn was.

"I transferred to Columbia." Quinn conceded.

"Whoa! And you haven't contacted us once?" Santana snorted. "That's real nice Quinn."

This was a bad idea since the start. Quinn knew Santana was still mad at her because she did not go to Finn's memorial and the brunette was not shy in letting her know.

"I didn't think you would want to talk to me." Quinn took another sip from her beer. It was warm now but the unpleasant taste was still welcomed.

"You still could have called." Santana countered.

Kurt kept looking between the two. Was that pity in his eyes?

"I'm sorry. I- I don't know what I was thinking. You're right, I should've called." Quinn decided to play it safe. The least she wanted was to cause a scene in a public place. Santana's brown eyes looked at her for a prolonged time, until she relinquished and gave her a small smile. "What else have you been up to? What's going on in your life?"

After that, things seemed to appease. Blaine came back with eighteen tequila shots and made everyone swear to drink them all. After three consecutive shots, things certainly got more relaxed. Kurt introduced Dani as Santana's girlfriend and explained that all of them -except Blaine of course- worked together at a diner called Spotlight.

Quinn felt a bit overwhelmed with all the information that was given to her. Plus a bit dizzy because of the alcohol. After a while, Santana and Dani were making out in a corner, and Kurt and Blaine were talking avidly with each other about Glee Club.

"It's so random that you're here! But I'm happy that you are." Rachel offered.

Quinn looked at Rachel suspiciously. "Yeah, we haven't seen each other in a while, right?"

The birthday girl hiccuped soundly. "Nope. Not since the whole topless ord-ordeal."

Quinn panicked momentarily, remembering how the sheets she used to cover herself on that day had slipped and revealed more then enough. But had also a topless issue last time they saw each other. "Right."

"I've been very busy. Very very busy. I have a job now, and friends and classes. Things are going well. I get up and jog and dance. I reached my ideal weight and everything. I love New York." Rachel had started to get a bit teary-eye by now.

Quinn looked around nervously seeing if she could catch someone else's eyes. "That's good Rachel."

"Yup. That's good. I watched _The Notebook_ the other day." She took a breath. "And _Love Story _and _A Walk to Remember _andI didn't cry."

Rachel placed her head on Quinn's shoulder. "Why is it always the girls dying?"

Quinn's stomach bottomed out. She felt like Atlas with Rachel's head on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"It's my birthday! Of course I'm okay." Rachel went over to grab a glass filled with vodka but Quinn placed her hand on top of hers.

"That's probably warm by now Rachel. Why don't we get a new glass?"

Rachel nodded strongly and both girls walked -Rachel needed some help- towards the bar. "Give me some vodka and lime please!" Quinn said out loud. Not a second later she gestured for the bartender to come closer and whispered something in his ear.

"Here you go Rachel." Quinn gave Rachel the new glass with fresh ice.

Rachel gulped it down in one go. "This vodka tastes like water!"

Quinn led Rachel by the hand back to their seats. "That's because you've drank so much, that by now vodka is like water for you." Quinn took a glass of water herself.

"I'm so sleepy. I want to sleep! Tomorrow I'm going home to see my dads. They are worried about me but I'm fine." Quinn offered Rachel what was left of her glass of water and the small woman gulped it down as well.

"Listen Rachel. I just came here to give you this." Quinn got her coat from under herself and took the yellow pen out of the side pocket. "I'm gonna put it in your purse, okay?"

Rachel nodded weakly.

"Happy birthday."

The rest of the group took a taxi back to their place, but Quinn decided to walk home that night. The cold winter's air did a magnificent job of sobering her up. Her heels clicked on her way down 13th street and her eyes felt droopy with sleep.

Rachel looked on her way to becoming that drug-addict version she had seen back in September.

Quinn did not know what to think now. Her hallucination had been right about the birthday party. She wanted to believe that this was all a trick from her subconscious, but the hallucination also told her it came from the future.

And what if that was true?

She got back to her dorm room, removed all her clothes and slept a dreamless sleep.

**July 13th, 2021**

Rachel knelt on the ground to place a bouquet of daisies on top of beautifully green grass.

Today was the 8th anniversary of Finn's death. If alive today, he would turn twenty-seven next month.

Kneeling down as well, Quinn placed a firm hand on her wife's shoulder.

"I can't believe I can time-travel but I can't bring him back." Rachel stated.

After the chaotic ending to their honey moon. Quinn and Rachel planned to also take a flight to Ohio for Rachel to visit her parents and also pay their respects to Finn.

"It may be pretentious of me to dare say how he feels, but I'm pretty sure he's very proud of how far you've come." Quinn's lips touched Rachel's teary cheek.

"I'd like to think so." The brunette nodded.

Both women stood up and held each other tightly.

"Let's go make your dads some pancakes!" Quinn offered her hand to Rachel and they both walked towards the car.

Once in the house, the Berries were still asleep, which gave time for the married couple to make breakfast.

"Are you sure they like chocolate chip pancakes?" Quinn held the chocolate sprinkles in one hand, hesitant about adding them to the pancake mix.

"I think you're the only person I know who doesn't like chocolate Honey." Rachel slapped her wife's hand for Quinn to drop the sprinkles already.

"Could you please turn the blue-berry ones while I squeeze us some orange juice?"

Hazel and brown connected once again. "I can take care of the juice Baby."

"Thank you."

They heard some ruffling coming from upstairs. "They're up!" Rachel clapped joyfully.

The first one to come downstairs was LeRoy, followed behind by his husband Hiram.

"Good morning daddies!" Rachel threw herself in her father's arms.

"Could you pass me some more syrup?" Hiram's extended hand did not quite reach the bottle, so Rachel just gave it to him.

"And we went cave tubbing! Which is freakin' insane! You just sit on this lifesaver and let the current take you. You guys should go sometime."

"That sounds incredible Rachel." Hiram smiled warmly to her daughter.

"What else did you guys do?" Hiram's husband was sitting by his side. Orange juice in hand. Rachel and Quinn looked at each other with panicky-eyes.

"Not that! C'mon! We're eating right now!" LeRoy tried to swat Quinn's shoulder but the blonde dodged him.

Quinn was only happy that Rachel's parents were thinking about sex and not time-traveling. She looked to her side and found worried brown eyes.

Quinn's smile softened as she placed her hand on top of Rachel's thigh and drew delicate patterns with the tip of her fingers.

"We also ate a lot! You know this one, the more exotic the food, the better." Quinn pitched in.

Quinn took on the chore of doing the dishes and each one of the Berries gave her a kiss on the cheek as thanks. God knew these people were too used to take-out.

"Marriage is not easy. But if you find someone who makes the effort to make you happy, you know you're on to a good start." Hiram's arm on Rachel's shoulder as they watched the blonde doing the dishes was comforting to the small brunette. "At least that's what has worked for your daddy and me." He finished.

Before they knew it, they could see the empire state from their plane's window.

"Lara called me yesterday Baby. She told me the audition she mentioned last month is actually for a superhero movie. Can you believe it?"

"What like the love interest?" Rachel held onto Quinn's waist as they walked to pick up their baggage.

"Try more like the hero." Quinn winked at her wife.

Rachel's mind went to the gutter imagining Quinn fighting off bad guys.

"Look, there's yours!" Quinn pointed towards a pink suitcase. They had fought over that one, with Quinn calling it tacky and Rachel saying it was practical since it could be seen from a distance.

Rachel was right of course.

"So which superhero are we talking about here?" Rachel took her own suitcase from the baggage carousel.

"Batwoman."

Rachel cackled. "You mean Batgirl Honey!"

Quinn bit her lower deep. "Well, now that you mention it... Maybe I misheard Lara." The blonde woman took her own suitcase and after passing baggage claim, they were outside ordering a taxi.

"You know, Lara sent me an email with a bunch of comic books she told me to read. Could you please check it out?"

Rachel nodded and took out her phone from her purse, unfolding it until it was the size of a notebook. Rachel already had Quinn's email account logged on her device.

"Oh yeah, it's actually Batwoman. Look!" Rachel leaned in with the device in her hand.

There was a red-headed woman on the cover with a mask covering her face and behind her a doll-looking girl that seemed to be upset. It read: Batwoman Elegy. "I didn't know she existed. She looks bad-ass."

"Lara said I'd love the role. Looks like I'll have to order the physical comics on-line so I can read them." Quinn smiled sheepishly looking out the taxi's window.

Rachel stared at her wife's profile. The woman was too proud to ask for help. "She looks hot! I kinda wanna read it too. Would you mind reading it with me off my phone when we get home?"

Quinn turned around with a beaming smile. "Not in the least."

Giving a quick peck to Quinn's lips, Rachel folded her phone and put it back inside her purse. "I'm sure one day they'll invent a phone you won't break."

"After the dozens we've tried, you still don't wanna give up, do you?" Quinn chuckled lightly.

Rachel leaned into her wife and once her lips were near the blonde's ear, she whispered: "Not until I can send my wife dirty pictures whenever I want."

Quinn gulped. "O-okay."

Back at the house they made some popcorn and got into bed together to star reading. Rachel would have to pass the pages herself, and zoom-in whenever Quinn wanted to see something closer.

"Oh my God she's gay." Rachel whispered. She was faster at reading because Quinn lingered on the drawings longer than the brunette.

"Well I didn't see that one coming." Quinn commented.

Katherine Kane was Batwoman's real name and Rachel fell instantly in love with her. She was deeply flawed which was simply exquisite in a character. As every other superhero, she came from a tragic background, losing her mother and her twin sister in a horrible terrorist attack. Kate's father was a soldier and she followed in his steps enrolling a the US Military Academy but was discharged under an old US policy called "Don't ask, don't tell." when she didn't lie to her commander about her sexual orientation.

Afterwards, she led a socialite life and became notorious for her partying and drinking. One fateful night, Kate was saved by batman from a mugger in a alleyway and decides she wants to become a vigilante as well.

"You'd get to play the villain too! Whoa Quinn, this is gold!" Rachel smile was a mile wide.

Quinn was afraid of falling in love with this role and not getting it. She was only a Broadway actress -and not even musicals-. Basically a nobody in Hollywood. What were her chances really?

"Who's gonna play your love interest?" Rachel demanded.

"Rachel! I haven't even auditioned yet! Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Rachel squealed. "I really think you'll get it! I just know it! And if Ronny's right and I get picked for Elphaba in the Wicked movie, we'll just move to L.A. for a while, maybe a year or two. What a time to be alive!" Rachel got up and started jumping on the bed, popcorn flying around everywhere.

The blonde woman looked up to her wife and rolled her eyes. There was no stopping this one. She got up on the bed and started jumping with her wife as well. A small sticker in the shape of a star could be seen pasted on the bedroom ceiling.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews = Love!**


	4. Chapter 3: You Get What You Need

Chapter 3: You Get What You Need

**January-February, 2014**

The best part about Rachel's holiday was getting an email from one of her NYADA professors informing her there was an open casting for the role of Fanny Brice. Rachel's sight blurred with tears, and she was actually laughing and crying at the same time once she finished reading the email.

Next thing she did was run downstairs to tell her parents the news.

This could be her big break.

After that, she went back to her old High School routine and got up everyday at 6 o'clock to exercise on her elliptical for one hour; she watched Funny Girl every night; drank tea and talked to her parents every evening.

Rachel Berry was back stronger than ever.

She chose "Funny Girl" as her audition song, channeling all the pain from all the bullying she had taken back in high school, Rachel's eyes shone with passion in her performance every night in front of the mirror, still using a hairbrush as a microphone.

Her parents were happy she was happy, and in turn she was happy for them. It was all around a very symbiotic relationship between the three of them.

* * *

Back in New York, she read Fanny Brice's biography and watched every YouTube video she could find of her. She was impregnated with the character in every possible way. She was ready.

Her first day back in class, she took one of her purses and found a yellow pen. If you opened the lid at one end, there was stamp in the shape of a star. Rachel took a piece of paper and wrote her name, adding the stamp at the end.

She felt like herself again.

Soon enough she started stamping the yellow star everywhere she could: on take-out food that she didn't want Kurt or Santana to eat; on every corner of every paper she wrote for homework and sometimes on herself if she was bored during a lecture.

It was a metaphor after all, a metaphor for her being a star.

She asked both her roommates if they had given her the pen as a surprise. But both Kurt and Santana denied ever having to do anything with it. Rachel decided that maybe she had bought it for herself and just didn't remember.

* * *

New York was not getting any warmer and still, every morning she would get up at 5:00AM, bundle herself up in warm sporty clothes and run through central park.

By 9:00PM she would fall on her bed utterly exhausted and the next morning she would get up and do it all over again.

She just needed to keep herself busy.

"You're gonna tire yourself to death Rachel. This is not healthy. Plus running in the dark at central park is just plain dangerous!" Kurt huffed one Sunday morning after Rachel had returned from her morning jog.

"This milk is mine. See?" Rachel turned the almond milk-carton around so that Kurt could see a yellow star stamped on the object.

"I hate that stupid pen of yours!" Kurt kept on eating his cereal with Rachel's milk anyway.

"I appreciate your concern about my health Kurt, but believe me, if something bad were to happen to me, it would've happened by now." Rachel started removing her gloves and scarf. "And buy your own milk!"

She went to her own bedroom and got her things ready for a hot shower. Sundays were the worst days of the week. Usually there was nothing lined-up for her to do, she tried reading and studying or running what she had prepared for her "Funny Girl" audition, but sometimes it just wasn't enough.

She applied some shampoo and massaged her scalp as slowly as possible, When she rinsed her hair, she knew she was already crying.

She just went on and applied some conditioner.

* * *

**February 17th, 2014**

"Maybe we could get a cup of coffee sometime?" The boy looked extremely nervous and all Quinn wanted to do was bury her head in the sand.

"I'm flattered. I really am-"

"But?" The boy interrupted.

Quinn took a breath. "But I'm not interested in dating right now."

The blond's eyes widened. "W-would you be interested in something more casual then?"

Quinn's eyes widened. "No! I'm not interested in anything like that either. I'm gay."

The boy's —Jeremy was it?— forehead wrinkled. "You don't look gay."

Quinn tensed. "Here's the thing Jeremy-"

"Zachary." He corrected in a dull voice.

"I'm sorry. Listen _Zachary, _you asked me out and I gave you my answer. I hope you have a good day." Quinn went back to her book and her cappuccino, and waited for Zachary to take the hint and go back to his own table at the coffee shop.

Zachary shrugged. "I mean that if you don't wanna go out with me, just tell me so... But don't lie to me."

If you were very observant, you could see a vein popping on Quinn's forehead. "Just to be clear: I _am_ a lesbian. But for your information, I wouldn't even say yes to you if I was straight." Quinn stood up with her coffee and book in hand and left the café.

She groaned in frustration once she was outside in the cold winter.

That boy Zachary really got on her nerves. Quinn marched down New York city's pavement with purpose. Her nose flared as she breathed. She tried to finish her coffee, but she knew she was not gonna be able to stomach it with all that contained anger, so she threw it away.

As she turned the corner she saw a person lying unconscious on the floor.

It was Rachel.

* * *

**February 22nd, 2014**

She knew it in her heart that she was born to do this. She was born for this role. An inadequate girl waiting for a man that wasn't likely to come? Rachel knew she _was _Fanny.

Getting this role would justify everything she had gone through: All the insults, all the frustrations, all the hurt.

She needed this.

The night before her audition Rachel did not sleep. She stared at the star on her ceiling all night through. Literally wishing upon a star.

That morning she did not run.

"You'll do amazing Rach. I'm sure you'll blow their minds away." Kurt gave her a tight hug before she left the apartment. Being in his arms gave some comfort to the small woman.

She could feel a mantle of nervous energy surrounding her as she walked through the streets of the city.

She could not choke like when she auditioned for NYADA. She had to be perfect.

Waiting to cross the street, she decided some music might help calm her down. She took her MP3 player out of her purse and put the earphones on.

She listened to "Defying Gravity". The _"walk" _signal turned on and Rachel stepped down from the sidewalk to the pavement.

Next thing she knew there was a piercing pain coursing through her ribs and her her leg was burning.

Strong arms were carrying her into a car. "You're okay. You're okay. Please be okay." There was a fruity smell near her nose. It took a herculean effort to open her eyes. Quinn Fabray was holding her and they were on a taxi.

"I-" Rachel swallowed hard. "I have an audition."

"A bike just ran you over and you're thinking about an audition?" Quinn's hand was on her cheek now, it felt cold but nice.

"It's Fanny." She managed to say before losing consciousness again.

"There's nothing funny about this. It was all my fault." Quinn's voice was coarse. Her throat was too tight to get any decent locution out. "Please be okay."

* * *

**February 17th, 2013 **

"Rachel! Rachel!" Quinn shook Rachel by the shoulders.

"Why is your hair so short?" Rachel managed to stand up with a little help from Quinn.

There was dirty snow on the floor of the city and Rachel had been lying there in her pajamas. This girl had a death wish. Quinn took off her scarf and coat and put them around Rachel.

"What were you doing in the middle of the street like that? What's wrong with you?" Quinn took Rachel in her arms and embraced her, trying to transfer some of her body heat onto the smaller woman.

"Why is it so cold?" Rachel wondered as she pressed herself to Quinn's neck. After a moment she pulled her head up from the blonde's skin in order to see her surroundings. "What are we doing in New York?"

Quinn's eyes widened. Rachel looked older. "A-are you from the future again?"

"This isn't happening. I must be dreaming. Tell me I'm dreaming!" Rachel backed away from Quinn, almost slipping because of the snow.

The blonde grabbed Rachel by the elbows to hold her steady. "I'm the one that's dreaming. Don't worry."

Rachel looked at her wife, but it was not her. This woman in front of her looked like a kid.

"What's the date?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You're gonna start with that again? It's 2014 now."

Both girls were shaking from the cold by now. Rachel was barefooted and her feet were extremely cold due to their contact with the wet pavement. She then felt something hot running down her cheeks and realized she was crying.

"My dorm is right around this co-Well, you must already know that. I'm not sure how visions work, but you must know everything I know, right? Let me carry you." Quinn turned around and crouched down in front of Rachel.

Rachel took her cue immediately and climbed on top of her wi- on top of Quinn. The blonde woman felt warm under Rachel's torso. The brunette could feel her heart beating inside her chest rapidly. This could not be real. This only happened in the movies. She was dreaming. All she needed to do was close her eyes and she would be back in her cozy cabana with a view to the Caribbean sea.

"I gave you the pen like you said I should. I couldn't believe you were right about the date and place! You weren't looking too good though. Well not you _you._ I mean... the real _you- _or the _younger_ you, however you wanna put it. Rachel? Are you listening to me?"

"What?"

The younger woman sighed. "Never mind."

From her position, Rachel smelled the blonde's hair. This was her wife. Maybe with a different shampoo, but the essence of her wife was still there.

Quinn opened the door to her apartment building and let the older woman through.

"Quinn! I thought we were gonna study at the coffee place today. What's-" Olivia's voice slowed down as she ascertained the smaller woman by her classmates' side. "-going on?" Libby extended a gloved hand towards Rachel. "Hi nice to meet you!"

"Y-you... You can see her?"

By now Rachel was shaking the woman's hands. "Libby? uh- Pleasure to meet you too. I'm Rachel Berry."

After Quinn's question, Libby and Rachel turned their heads towards the blonde while they were still shaking hands.

"What do you mean if I can see h- Oh my! Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

"You can see her."

"I think it's because I was sleeping right before I got here." Rachel responded.

Libby's forehead wrinkled but then a grin formed on her face. "You have a weird sense of humor. I like it." After a chuckle, the dirty-blonde asked: "So you live nearby?"

"You can see her."

Once again both women turned to regard Quinn.

"It's not polite to keep pinpointing Rachel's attire." Libby then turned to Rachel. "Tell you what Rachel Berry. If she was throwing you out before you could get dressed, I happen to..." Libby then got really close to Rachel's ear. "have a copy of Quinn's key to her dorm. Come by to 3-B any time and I'll let you recover your shoes."

Rachel started cackling and Olivia laughed right along with her.

"Thank you so much Libby, but that won't be necessary. Quinn was actually _taking_ me to her dorm room."

The dirty-blonde's eyebrows rose with astonishment. "You're so eager you won't even wait for her to put her shoes on?" She asked the other blonde as she laughed and patted Rachel's shoulder.

Quinn's mouth —that was still open throughout this whole interaction— closed. "We're not having sex! I'd never have sex with her!"

Silence reigned the room.

"I'm- I'm just gonna go study. I'm happy to have you as a neighbor Rachel." Olivia gave Rachel a sheepish look before walking towards the door. Once near the other blonde, she whispered: "I'm sorry if I insulted you." She then opened the building's door and left.

"What is wrong with you?" Rachel crossed her arms in reprehension.

"She can see _you_! I thought only _I _could see you." Quinn started going up the stairs and Rachel followed.

"What are you talking about?" The brunette hurried behind Quinn.

The blonde got to her dorm and opened the door letting it ajar for Rachel to enter as well.

"_What_ are you? Why were you just lying there on the pavement?" She confronted Rachel once the brunette was by the door's threshold.

Rachel closed the door behind her and remained with her back towards the taller woman. She took a deep breath, she was getting a migraine by now and her vision kept blurring.

"I'm having a nightmare." Rachel voiced to no one in particular.

"Answer me!" Quinn brusquely turned the smaller woman around.

"My name's Rachel Barbra Berry. I was born on the 18th of December 1994. I have two fathers and I'm an only child. I went to McKinley High School in Lima Ohio. I am 26 years old. I'm an actress and I just married the woman of my dreams. That is _who _I am." After a sigh she finished with: "I don't know how to answer your other question. My wife told me I would time-travel though and it seems I have."

Quinn took a step back. "You're from the future then?"

Rachel nodded. "I think so yeah."

"What now?" Quinn went over to her bed and sat down. Rachel was... real? How could this be? Things like this do not happen in real life. If only they hadn't met Libby downstairs maybe she could go on pretending she's crazy. Just when she was finally coming to terms with her insanity, they had to meet Libby!

Rachel took off Quinn's coat and sat on the chair by the desk. "I've visited you before right?"

"Yes... Last year."

"And for how long did I stay?"

"I dunno. Like... like 40 minutes? Not much really."

Rachel had kept Quinn's scarf and started playing with it. "Then I guess we just have to wait. We'll wait and I'll get back to my wife and that'll be the end of it." The brunette looked down to her fingers playing with the scarf instead of Quinn.

"Wait? That's your plan?" Quinn grunted. This Rachel was not as assertive as the last one she had met. "Is this _your _first time?"

"Yes." Rachel looked up to Quinn.

The blonde cleared her throat. Rachel's stare made her nervous. "The first time you visited me, you told I gave you a pen as a birthday present. I did what you asked. I don't know why I listened to you but I did." Quinn seemed to be talking more to herself than the brunette.

"It was a great birthday gift. Thank you Quinn."

Quinn gave Rachel a small smile in return. "So... you're already married huh?"

Rachel's eyes widened slightly. "Yes, I'm married." The brunette looked nervous. Terribly so.

"How's married life treating you?"

Rachel smirked at this. "So far, so good."

"Are you sure you're Rachel Berry? Because the Rachel Berry I know talks a lot..." Quinn was starting to get frustrated with this older version of Rachel. Was she hiding something? And if so... what was it?

"I apologize." Rachel inhaled. "It's just that I don't know what I'm supposed to tell you or not." The older woman let go of the scarf and placed both her hands on her lap.

"I already know that you're supposedly married to me, if that's what you're hiding... You told me already." Quinn rolled her eyes at this.

Rachel gasped a little bit. Recovering from the surprise she responded. "Yes. We just got married."

Then this Rachel was younger than the one Quinn had previously met. "You told me you were married, and that I was having a baby girl —Maria— if I remember correctly."

Rachel's grin was bigger than her face now. "Maria." She whispered, then her eyes started to water. "C-can I hug you?" Rachel got up from her seat and went over to Quinn.

The blonde woman felt weirded out by the whole thing but still, she got up from the bed and let Rachel hug her. Giving her some pats on the back, to signal that she wanted the hug to be over.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just miss my wife so much and... And you look like her. I wanna go back." Rachel sat on the bed next to the blonde woman, tears were falling down her cheeks. "What's the date right now."

Quinn got up from the bed and took some tissues from the bathroom to give to the smaller woman. "It's February 17th"

"2014 right?" Quinn nodded in response. "Then you're already twenty years old and I'm- February 2014- I'm-" Rachel gasped strongly and raised her hands up to her mouth. "My accident! I got run over by a bicycle and you-oh god." Rachel seemed to comprehend something big at that moment. "No wonder you were there!"

* * *

**February 22nd, 2014**

"Are you a family member?"

"No. I'm the one that brought her in." Quinn was paler than usual and her breathing was shaky at best. "How is she? Is she okay?"

The nurse placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's just a sprain, she won't be able to walk without crutches for at least a month. Other than that, she has major bruising on her left ribs, but they didn't break. She was lucky."

Quinn let a breath out in relief. "Can I see her?"

"Follow me." The tall man walked in front of Quinn to the ER section. Opening one of the curtains, Quinn saw Rachel lying in a bed with her left hand covering her face. She was crying and her right foot was covered in bandages.

"I'm so sorry Rachel."

Rachel removed her arm from her face, her eyes were as red as her entire face. "Now I'll never play the role of my life."

"It's just a sprain." Quinn reasoned.

"It's not _just_ a sprain. I was on my way to an audition for Funny Girl. Why can't I get it right?" Rachel sniffled.

Quinn looked down to the floor.

She worked so hard for this and now it was all for nothing. "Why were you there Quinn?"

The blonde rose her head. "I- I was just going t-to meet some friends and I saw you. I saw how that bicycle hit you. I'd never before seen a _hit and run_ done with a bike."

Rachel's eyes grew misty again. "Thank you for being so diligent with everything. I appreciate your help." There was a silence between the two women.

"I can get you a taxi home if you want." Rachel could see guilt behind Quinn's eyes. Almost as if she had pushed her in front of the bike herself.

"I need to stop at a drugstore to get some pain-medication first." The injured woman explained.

"I'll get it. Give me the prescription and I'll get it for you."

"O-okay. Why are you being so nice to me? We're barely friends?" Rachel accused.

"You need help and I can help you. It's as simple as that."

* * *

They took a taxi to Rachel's apartment. When they got to the building, Quinn carried Rachel on her back to her bed and left. Rachel looked at the star on her ceiling and wept.

After an hour, Quinn had returned with the pain-medicine and some crutches. Rachel offered to pay her, but Quinn said it was not necessary.

After that, Rachel called her job and explained what had happened to her boss. Gunther agreed that if she felt good, he would let her work on crutches back in the kitchen washing dishes. Rachel sighed. What was she supposed to do now? For the past three months she had looked forwards to this audition. Now there was nothing to look forward to. If only she had looked sideways before crossing the street, if only she hadn't been listening to music on her earphones. She was just a pathetic little girl who could not even cross the street on her own.

She could hear noise coming from the kitchen.

"Quinn? Are you still here?" Rachel yelled.

Quinn entered her room and explained that she had cooked meals for Rachel.

"I've gotta get going now Rachel. I left my number on the fridge in case you need anything. Please don't hesitate to call." The blonde left a veggie sandwich on Rachel's nightstand, waived the brunette goodbye and left.

Now she would not be able to run in the mornings. She could not attend her dance classes nor work as a waitress. Her daily routine would be ruined. Rachel was left alone without any distractions from herself.

She thought of Finn.

* * *

**July 10th, 2021**

"I can't kill Hitler then or go to a Beatles' concert, or anything cool?" Rachel was sitting Indian style with her wife in front of her. They were at their cabana at Belize, there was a soft breeze coming from the sea and Quinn was sweaty because she had been jogging that morning.

"I'm afraid not Rach." Quinn took off her shirt —leaving her only in her sports bra— and got up to turn the ceiling fan on.

"Why is all of this happening?" Rachel was still too cold. New York hadn't sit right with her. "I'm cold. Can we keep it off?" The Brunette pointed to the ceiling.

Quinn turned off the ceiling fan and went over by the bed again. "Would you wanna take a bath with me? We can still talk about this."

Rachel nodded enthusiastically.

After removing the rest of her clothes Quinn set up a warm bath. Not even waiting for the tub to fill, she got in anyway and waited for Rachel who was still taking her pajamas off. After she was done, the brunette settled in the tub between her wife's legs with her back towards the blonde.

"This is nice." Quinn's mouth was close to Rachel's ear and the brunette could feel the vibrations of her wife's voice running through all her body. She released a shiver.

"Are you still cold Baby?" Quinn embraced Rachel and kissed her cheek.

Rachel sighed in contentment. This was definitively her wife and not that bratty child she had met earlier.

"I'm getting warmer now." Rachel conceded. The brunette took a deep breath, she could feel her wife's hard nipples digging into her back and it was very distracting. "Quinn, we need to talk."

"I know. I-" There was a pause and Quinn placed her chin on Rachel's shoulder. "I'm sorry. First and foremost I want to apologize to you. From here on out, it's only gonna get more complicated and I know there are a million questions in your head right now Baby." She tightened her embrace. "But I won't be able to answer all of them. Maybe you'll resent me for it, but this a decision I've already made."

Rachel tensed. "You mean you _won't_ answer my questions?"

Quinn turned Rachel's face around with a gentle hand. "I'll do my best to answer all of them."

Rachel turned around completely to face her wife. "Am I still visiting you? From the future I mean."

"No, that stopped a while ago." Rachel could see tenderness and nostalgia in Quinn's hazel eyes.

"When did it stop?" Rachel asked.

"I can't answer that."

Rachel grunted. "Why is this happening to me?"

Quinn took Rachel's face in her hands. "I don't know Baby. All I know is that it's something we need to find out. You told me you went to a doctor and that he helped you a lot. It doesn't happen too often though so we have time."

"And do I always end up near you? Don't I get to visit other people?" Rachel's eyes kept looking between both of Quinn's trying to read something.

"As far as I know. You always travel to meet me. You've never told me you've visited someone else."

"Why didn't you tell me until now?" Rachel looked down to Quinn's chest.

"I tried. There's so many times I just wanted to... But, you'll understand why I didn't. I promise you will. Look at me Rach."

Rachel lifted her gaze.

"Tell me about your first visit. How did it go?" Quinn grabbed a liquid soap and started rubbing it on her hands and then soaping up her wife.

"I was in New York and it was 2014. You found me on the ground and helped me up, took me to your dorm. You looked like a kid. So full of yourself, aloof and irritating. We met Libby, she was kind to me. I guess that answers why it was so weird when _I_ first met her." Both women giggled at that.

"You thought I was a dream or a _vision_—That's what you called me— But I assured you that I was just as confused as you were. Then she- you?"

"You can call her a she if it makes things easier." Quinn said with a smile as she started soaping up herself, but then Rachel slapped her hands away and started doing it herself.

"Well, then _she_ told me about that pen you gave me when I turned nineteen. She has no idea how much it meant to me to have that pen. I felt like that pen was the only thing that reminded me of myself. I thanked her for the pen." Then Rachel giggled to herself. "She still doesn't know I have no idea she was the one that gave it to me, I thought that was funn-Funny." Rachel started soaping up between Quinn's legs and she could not talk at the same time, so for a while all that could be heard were Rachel and Quinn's little pants as they stared at each other's eyes.

"I- I think we can do that later Baby." Quinn placed her hand on top of Rachel's until the brunette let go.

The brunette took a deep breath. "Anyways, then I realized that my accident —Remember my bicycle accident?— It hadn't happened yet. So I told her about that. Do you remember my accident?"

Quinn looked to the side. "How could I forget it?"

"You were there and watched it, didn't you?" Rachel held tight to Quinn's shoulders.

"Yes. I went over to the address you told me and after I saw you, I panicked. I watched it all happen and did nothing to stop it. I'll never forgive myself for that. I think that part of me thought that if it happened, then it was true that you came from the future. I wanted it to be true because otherwise I was just clinically insane. I'm so sorry my love."

"You more than made up for it Quinn. I forgive you." Rachel leaned into Quinn and they shared a kiss.

"I just- What were you thinking? —Back then I mean— Did you really believe me I was from the future?" Rachel kept her hands on Quinn's shoulders and looks directly to lovely hazel eyes.

Quinn did not avoid Rachel's firm look. "I didn't believe you. I kept thinking that I was probably dreaming the whole thing. Even meeting Libby." The paler woman sighed. "I went to where you told me, because I wanted to see if you were telling the truth. If it was all real. I remember you crossing the street, I remember seeing the bike trying to break and I-" She swallowed. "I let it all happen. It happened right in front of me and I did nothing."

Rachel's hands went up to cup Quinn's face in comfort. "You took me to a hospital and you took such good care of me Quinn."

"But I could've stopped it and I didn't. I felt so guilty. I still feel guilty about it sometimes." The blonde murmured.

"What's past is past. We don't have to dwell on it anymore Love." Rachel embraced her wife, hoping to make her feel safe and forgiven.

* * *

**August 22****nd****, 2021**

Rachel bowed down along with all her cast-mates. Quinn was sitting front and center joining the standing ovation, tears her streaming down her face and she was smiling as brightly as possible. Getting back to reality, Quinn hurried along the corridor to get to the backstage dressing rooms.

She could feel her heart beating wildly as she stood in front of the door to her wife's dressing room. How could this woman still make her this nervous? She knocked on the door and raised the bouquet of roses she was holding up to her face in order to receive the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Coming!"

Rachel opened the door and then screamed and threw herself in her wife's arms.

"You were amazing! I'm so proud of you!" Both women were damaging the roses with their embrace.

They could care less about the flowers.

"I love you!" Rachel said as she took a step back from her wife. There was still make-up on her face but at least she had removed her wig. "I was so nervous" She continued as she re-entered her dressing room, followed by her wife. "The last performance is the one that stays with the critics."

"You were amazing. I'm sure you'll get great reviews." Quinn assured. The brunette then took out a flower vase from under her vanity. "I thought we would take them home instead..." The blonde voiced out.

"Oh! Yes of course. We have to, don't we? Seeing as this is the last time I'll use this room." Rachel's eyes glimmered with tears. "I'm gonna miss this so much." She sighed and then sat in front of her vanity. On her part, Quinn left the flowers by a love-seat and went over to the brunette.

"I love you." Quinn placed both of her hands on her wife's shoulders and they looked t each other through the mirror. "You're Rachel Berry and you're gonna take the world by storm. This may be over, but plenty of more things will come."

Rachel smiled in response and after that, both women remained quiet as Quinn helped her remove her make-up.

* * *

**August, 2021**

The sun was shining brightly and Rachel was sitting right beside her driving the car. Both women were laughing energetically but for the life of her, the blonde could not remember why. It did not matter though, her wife was happy and that was the only relevant matter. Quinn stopped laughing and looked out the window of the car; the road never seemed to change, always the same building, always the same man walking his dog. Quinn turned to Rachel to ask them where they were going but all she found was the street and Rachel leaving her with the car, never stopping to look back.

Quinn opened her eyes and found herself in her room. When she turned, she saw her wife, lying on her stomach and on a fluffy white pillow, brown hair spread in every direction. Quinn smiled thinking about all the wine and the drunk dancing they had done the previous night.

Quinn's eyes widened, she went up to the room's closet and got a towel, getting back to the bed, she realized her wife was now laying on her back. "Get up! Get up! You have your meeting today!" Quinn shook Rachel by the shoulders. "Here's a towel! Go take a shower! Go! Go! Go!" Quinn peppered Rachel's face with kisses and in turn, the brunette scrunched her face and moved from side to side trying to dodge the taller woman.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Rachel settled herself in a sitting position and looked around. Her wife face was the most prominent object from her point of view, next was the bed with white sheets and the room, which was light beige with dark-wooded furniture. "I like this room."

"I decorated it! You better like it. Now let's undress you!" Quinn grabbed the bottom of Rachel's tank-top and started pulling it up. Going along with her wife, Rachel lifted both her arms. After the tank-top was gone Rachel went over to kiss Quinn, but the blonde pulled back swiftly. "You have to take a shower! You have your meeting with the producers remember?" Quinn arched up her eyebrow at Rachel.

"You shouldn't have let me drink that much last night!" Rachel pushed Quinn's shoulder and the blonde fell back laughing.

"You were so cute though. You're always cute when you're drunk!" The older woman complimented.

Rachel huffed in response and got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. Right at the threshold she took off her panties and winked at Quinn. "You know... We need to protect the environment. Maybe we should start by saving water."

"Are you trying to seduce me Mrs. Fabray-Berry?" Quinn arched her eyebrow for the second time at Rachel that morning.

"Only if it's working." Without waiting for a reply, the brunette entered the bathroom.

An eager Quinn followed behind. "It's working alright."

* * *

New York was hot as hell on this August morning. Rachel waited for her agent at the building's lobby, sitting down on a great green couch. She had told her wife they would meet again for lunch. Her heart was thrumming inside her chest. It had been a good thing that she had been drunk the night before, otherwise she would not have gotten much sleep.

"Rachel! It's always a pleasure to see you." Ronny was standing in front of her, wearing a dark-gray suit and looking very elegant. Rachel stood up and went in for a kiss, but the tall man extended his caramel hand out to her, so she shook his hand instead. She always forgot that Ronny wasn't very touchy with people.

"It's nice to see you too Ronny. How's Linda and the twins?"

Ronny smile contrasted with the rest of his face. "Linda is doing fine and the twins just turned four. They're entering the _why_ face now." Ronny walked side by side with Rachel as he spoke and the both of them entered his car.

"That face can be a bit annoying. My parents told me I didn't get out of it until I was nearly ten!" Rachel laughed softly to herself.

"I can only imagine!" Ronny started the car and after putting some John Legend, he addressed Rachel again. "How are you feeling? Are you ready?"

Rachel clapped her hands together in joy. "I'm so freakin' excited! I can't believe that I might get to play Elphaba! How crazy is that?"

"I think you're perfect for the role!" Ronny kept on driving through 8th Avenue in sunny NYC.

Eventually, Rachel could see the Worldwide Plaza building looking out through Ronny's side of the window as best she could. Her smile took most of her face as stared into another pair of brown eyes.

* * *

"Please sit down." A slim middle-aged man signaled Rachel and Ronny to the two chairs in front of him. Rachel smiled before lowering herself on the chair. "I'm so happy you're here Ms. Berry. My name is Steven Gomez and I am one of the producers for the film. It is truly a pleasure to meet you. I've studied all of your previous works and I think you're perfect for the role."

"The pleasure is mine Mr. Gomez." Rachel assured.

Steven smiled warmly towards Rachel. "I'm actually the one that recommended you for the role. I'm a bit of a Broadway aficionado myself." He laughed through his nose.

"I assure you we are more than grateful for this opportunity." Ronny joined in.

Steven cleared his throat and then adjusted his tie. "Well Ms. Berry... The thing is that, I haven't been able to convince my fellow producers -and I know we were supposed to talk about the contract and scheduling- but I told my fellow producers that you'd perform for them. They'll be here in twenty minutes." He finished with a sheepish smile.

Rachel's eyes widened and her heart started racing again. Perform? In twenty minutes? For the role of her life?

"Yes of course, no problem." Suddenly came of her lips. Ronny looked at her with questioning eyes and after a nod from Rachel he stared at Steven straight in the eye.

"Ms. Berry is always performance-ready."

Four people sat in front of her as Rachel started singing an acapella version of "Defying Gravity." If only Kurt could see her now!

She gave it her all and was still a bit pitchy due to her drinking the day prior. All in all, Rachel thought it was a good performance. Only Ronny was scrunching his eyebrows and that's because he _knows_ her at her best.

Silence permeated the room after she managed to reach the high _F _at the end of the song.

"That was wonderful!" Steven applauded whilst the other two producers smiled to one another.

"Are you willing to move to L.A.? We can arrange for your accommodations if it's necessary." Ms. Lee, one of the other two producers asked Rachel.

"My client plans to move with her wife to L.A. so they'll be looking for more permanent arrangements." Ronny informed them.

"That is perfect! Filming starts on January. We couldn't be happier Ms. Berry." Steven had stood from his chair and was now hugging Rachel. "We'll send the physical copy of the contract to your office Mr. Paulson but I think Ms. Lee is already sending you an email with it." The three of them turned to the woman and saw her tinkering with her phone.

"Thank you so much. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Both Ronny and Rachel shook hands with the producers.

* * *

Rachel could see Quinn sitting at the bistro on the tables situated on the outside of the restaurant. She waved to the blonde and she was reciprocated with another waive. "You're looking at the next Wicked Witch of the West!"

Quinn got up from her seat and lifted her wife off the ground. Turning around in circles, both women were laughing and making a scene. They did not care though. This moment was theirs alone and nothing could ruin it.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews = Love!  
**


	5. Chapter 4: Atonement

Chapter 4: Atonement

**February 23rd****, 2014**

"Quinn? Where are you going? You still owe me a study session, you know?" Libby said jokingly when she saw Quinn coming down the building stairs.

"I'm sorry Libby. I really haven't time." Quinn smiled ashamedly.

Libby saluted in response. "You must have a Berry good reason. Don't worry." She chuckled at her own joke which made Quinn roll her eyes.

"It's not like that. She got hurt pretty bad yesterday and it was my fault." The blonde looked to the floor. "I'm just doing the right thing."

Libby's apartment door was still closed, and a bag of groceries was on the floor while she looked for her apartment keys. She scrunched her eyebrows at Quinn and then raised them. "You didn't wait for her to put on her shoes again?"

"We're not lovers Libby! Stop it with that!" Quinn pushed the smaller woman lightly on the shoulder and Libby laughed some more.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But are you or are you not gay?" She looked serious after she finished her question.

"I am. But not for Rachel Berry. Listen, I've gotta go. I've gotta do some grocery shopping myself." Quinn waved Olivia goodbye and continued her path downstairs.

Libby smiled to herself, it was nice finally discovering a bit about the mystery that was Quinn Fabray.

* * *

Quinn knocked on the door —was this a door? Ugh!— of Rachel's apartment three times before Kurt opened it.

"Move aside, I'm making pasta for dinner." Quinn invited herself inside the apartment and placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. Kurt still stood by the door gaping in astonishment.

"Hey Q. What's up?" Santana came out of the bathroom and was still brushing her teeth as she spoke to the blonde.

"I'm making us dinner. Do you like avocado?" Quinn's eyebrow arched.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Jeez, what is it with white people and avocado?" She complained as she re-entered the bathroom.

Kurt finally managed to close the apartment's door and immediately went over to Quinn. "Care to tell me what's this about?" Kurt crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared Quinn down.

"Is there any way you know if Rachel ate the sandwiches I made her?" Quinn said as she started chopping some vegetables. "This kitchen is so organized! It's very intuitive." She added as she opened a cabinet and instantly found the salt to put inside a pot filled with water.

"I think she took the sandwiches to work ye- What are you doing here? Did Rachel invite you?" Kurt groaned in frustration.

"Nope." She said as she kept on chopping. "She went to work today?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "Yes, Gunther has her doing the dishes... while sitting. Her shift finishes in an hour."

"Perfect. Dinner will be ready by then." Quinn turned her back to Kurt as she opened the fridge.

"You drink tap water?" She asked with a disgusted tone. "Is it safe? I'm really thirsty right now."

"I assure you Quinn that is it perfectly safe! You still haven't told me why you're here." His clear blue eyes searched for hazel ones without any success.

"I just had all this food at my place and thought I'd share it with you guys." Quinn shrugged.

Kurt sighed. "And it just so happens that you brought no meat whatsoever." The blue-eyed boy decided to just give up already and with a grunt went over to the couch to keep on watching television.

Quinn's eyes widened in realization. "Kurt?" She yelled from the kitchen.

"What is it Quinn?" He yelled back.

Quinn went over to the couch area, she hated unnecessary screaming. What would the neighbors say? "How is Rachel gonna get back here? Is she gonna take a cab?"

"She'll take the subway." Kurt went on to his zapping through the channels.

Quinn felt something heavy drop in her stomach. "Kurt! Call her right now and tell her that there'll be a cab waiting for her at the diner when her shift is over."

"Are _you _gonna be paying for that?" Kurt arched his eyebrow at the blonde.

"Yes." Quinn went over to her purse and grabbed her old blackberry phone and called a cab company she trusted. Then she went right back to the kitchen.

Key's ruffling could be heard behind the door, so Quinn went over and slid it open. Rachel was standing at the other side, completely wet from the rain.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked at the same time that Quinn asked her why she was wet.

"I'm making dinner." The blonde answered as Rachel explained that she could not carry an umbrella and walk on crutches at the same time.

"Didn't Kurt tell you about the cab?" Quinn was quicker than Rachel this time.

Rachel's eyebrows scrunched. "I'm not spending his money on a cab! That's like thirty dollars!" She entered her own home, wetting the floor as she walked. Even the crutches were dripping wet. Quinn slid the door closed and her face turned somber.

"Kurt!" She yelled as she went over to the T.V. area. "Didn't you explain to Rachel that I would pay for the cab?" Quinn hissed at the boy.

By now, Rachel was standing on the kitchen floor, looking at the food.

"I texted her there would be a cab waiting for her when she was done!" Kurt stood up and went over to the kitchen. "Rach didn't you take the tax- You're dripping everywhere! Go to the bathroom!" Rachel apologized, but not before taking her yellow pen out of her pocket and marking some yummy Tupperwares with a star. She stood straighter and went to the bathroom, crutches and all.

"Damn Berry! Singing under the rain, weren't you?" Santana came out of her room, she was already wearing pajamas. Rachel smiled at the other brunette before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

During all this time, Quinn sat on the couch with her hands up to her forehead. "Kurt. She walked home because she thought that if she took the taxi, she would be spending _your _money!"

The brunet sat down beside Quinn with a sheepish smile. "How was I supposed to know she would do that Quinn?"

The former cheerleader shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "Forget it. Let's just set the table."

"This is actually pretty good Quinn." Kurt said after he had taken his first bite. The four of them sat around the table and ate happily. Quinn stared at her own plate dreading the questions that were to come.

"So... Quinn, Santana invited you over or something?" Kurt inquired. On her part, the blonde looked towards the black-haired girl pleadingly.

"Yeah I did. I just sort of had forgotten that I had." The other former cheerio voiced out.

Kurt and Rachel nodded in understanding.

"How's your leg feeling?" Quinn finally looked up from the plate towards Rachel.

The smaller brunette gave her half a smile before answering. "It's fine. I bit itchy though!"

By the end of dinner, even Santana had complimented the pasta. Afterwards, Quinn offered to do the dishes, as a way of apologizing for sort of intruding on their evening, or so she had said. After finishing with the dishes, the blonde packed-up her stuff and left with a wave goodbye.

"That was weird." Kurt said after he slid the door closed. "I mean, it was delicious. But still weird."

The three of them sat together and decided to watch a movie. "Quinn was practically raised to be a trophy-wife. Of course the girl can cook." Santana added with a tone of nonchalance.

"I really liked the food. I can't believe she made you guys eat vegan without any complaints!" Rachel cackled to herself whilst the other two looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Before going to bed, Santana grabbed her cellphone and texted Quinn that she needed to explain what the whole evening was about. She got an answer almost instantly with the words: _"I'll come over again tomorrow. We'll talk then."_

* * *

**March, 2014**

And so it began. Quinn would come over everyday and cook dinner for them. The only words that Santana got from the blonde were to not look a gift horse in the mouth and to just go along with it. Santana then started believing that maybe Quinn had pushed Rachel in front of the bike and was just trying o make up for it. That same evening Quinn explained that she would be doing this for about a month because she had lost a bet to Santana. The brunette shrugged in agreement.

Rachel got the flu but insisted on going to classes, keeping up with work and staying generally busy. When her shift would end there was always a taxi waiting for her at the diner's exit. Kurt explained to her that paying it was part of Quinn's lost bet with Santana and not to worry, since Quinn was pretty well off.

Even if she had lost her audition, her professor told Rachel that there would be another one looking for an understudy. Rachel was happier than ever and started rehearsing once again. She would come home late sometimes and her heart would warm every time she saw Quinn's Tupperware meals.

She was the happiest she had been in a while, even with a sprained leg. She even started singing in the shower again —much to Santana's undoing— and Kurt would duet with her from his room.

After a while, Kurt and Santana both learned to eat meat during breakfast and lunch, because they were not going to get any at dinner.

Eventually, Quinn started cleaning the whole kitchen, then the bathroom and then the whole common area. And even if he did not believe in God, Kurt started thinking that maybe Quinn Fabray was an angel sent from heaven.

Quinn would arrive every night to her apartment utterly exhausted. Libby started calling her a zombie every time she saw her. Once at her own place, she would take a long shower, hoping the water would wash away her guilt. Rachel was a good person. She could have stopped that accident and didn't, and now she was paying the consequences. Every time she saw Rachel enter the apartment limping with the crutches, Quinn's stomach would turn into knots.

Sooner rather than later, Quinn stopped eating with them. She would keep on cleaning, or say she was busy using the left-over ingredients to make more vegan meals for lunch and breakfast for _whoever _wanted them. As it was to be expected, one evening Rachel could not contain herself and took out her yellow pen to stamp any and all Tupperwares filled with Quinn's fine cooking.

"Hey! I'm glad you're using it. I thought maybe you'd find it a bit childish." Quinn remarked as she turned around from the kitchen counter towards Rachel and the open fridge.

Rachel gaped in response.

"She _is_ childish every time she uses it!" Kurt yelled from the dining table.

Rachel blinked harshly. "Y-you bought it? You're the one that gave it to me?" She started to approach Quinn —crutches and all— with an awed look.

"I'm afraid to say yes right now because of the look on your face." Quinn looked back to the dining table as if asking for help. Both Kurt and Santana ignored her.

Rachel immediately threw herself in Quinn's arms. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much Quinn." She mumbled to the taller girls shoulder.

Quinn patted Rachel on the shoulder without delicacy, wanting the hug to be over. "It's no big deal."

"She adores that pen Quinn. She's like glued to it." Kurt sighed.

Quinn kept on patting Rachel's back, but Rachel did not get the hint.

After that, Quinn dropped her last class in the afternoons and started going to the trio's apartment earlier, getting everything done and then leaving. Losing all contact with Rachel altogether. That hug and that pen had reminded Quinn of future-Rachel and of the impending truth she had ignored until now: They were going to get married.

How could that be? They barely knew each other.

But Rachel said she was twenty-six and just married. In seven years they would get married then? Could that be true? Everything else future-Rachel had said turned out to be true; dread settled deep in Quinn's stomach. She was not ready for this. She was not even attracted to Rachel!

Through her eyes, Rachel was simply a bratty child who always wanted things her way. Granted, Rachel was hardworking, honest, driven and talented. But she was too stubborn for Quinn's taste and although her fashion sense had improved immensely since high school and she was definitively in shape; Quinn simply had never regarded her that way. They had both dated the same guys and Rachel's mom was now Beth's mother too. How messed up was that?!

Rachel was stubborn yes, but she was noble. She wouldn't take the cab when she thought Kurt was paying for it. After she got sick, she just bought herself a surgical mask and kept on showing up for work and at dinner, she was always the one to keep conversation going for the sake of not falling into awkward-silence. After she started singing in the shower again, Quinn asked Kurt what was up with Rachel and he explained she still had the opportunity to make it as the understudy in "Funny Girl". This news gave Quinn's heart some consolation.

Quinn grunted in frustration. She was supposed to be writing an essay, and instead she was thinking about Rachel.

"Can't get your head in the game?" Libby placed a warm hand on Quinn's shoulder. Sunday afternoon had rolled by and the essay was due tomorrow.

Libby had already finished and was now relaxing on the couch reading Shakespeare's A Midnight Summer's Dream. Her apartment, although as small as Quinn's, was not as well decorated. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Rachel. She's driving me insane."

"But didn't you stop seeing her?" Libby placed a bookmark on her current page and closed the book. "What's going on Quinn?"

The blonde sighed. "Yes, I don't see her anymore. But I keep thinking about her."

Libby suddenly remembered the beginning of her relationship with Quinn, when she thought the blonde was an aloof all-American girl. She laughed inside her head, Quinn was everything but. If Libby had learned something in the past month, was that Quinn simply cared too much, she was always trying to please, and if she could please without seeming she wanted to, that constituted a victory in her own eyes. Basically, Libby thought Quinn was ridiculous. Why was it so important to hide that you cared?

"Quinn, what I'm about to say may come as a bit of a shock but, I think you like Rachel." Libby took a sip from her coffee while she waited for Quinn's reaction.

"I don't wanna like her. I wanna have control of my own destiny." The former cheerleader said in defeat.

Libby chuckled at that. "Haven't you heard that we don't choose who we love?" She patted Quinn on the shoulder lightly.

Quinn turned to look at Libby's honey eyes. "I don't love her. I barely know her. We don't talk."

"But you _want _to know her, don't you? That means you, at the very least, like her. Why don't you ask her out?" The dirty-blonde smirked.

Now Quinn was the one to chuckle. "Hi Rachel! It's me Quinn. I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me. Oh that's right! I'm gay and Finn just died last year but I just wanted to be really insensitive about it."

Libby eye's widened almost comically. "Who's Finn?"

"Her ex-fiancé."

"She was engaged!?" After moving Quinn's laptop from the coffee table, Libby sat on it, facing Quinn.

The blonde sighed. "When she was seventeen —I think— Her high school sweetheart —Who happened to be my ex-boyfriend too—" Libby's mouth opened lightly. "Asked her to marry him, and she accepted. They didn't though, because on their wedding day, a truck crashed into my car and left me handicapped for a while."

Libby opened her mouth to speak several times, without any success. Until after a breath she managed to compose herself. "I feel like you just told me the plot of a really bad soap-opera."

"Pretty much, yeah." Quinn said with indifference.

Libby crossed her legs and supported her face with her right hand, looking at Quinn with a million questions in her eyes. "What I don't understand is how you being in an accident on the day of her wedding, equals her not getting married."

"Well, my mom called our high school teacher —who was also a guest at the wedding— and explained what had happened. Apparently, when he told Rachel and she felt guilty because she was texting me while I was driving. Then she canceled the wedding. I dunno... Sometimes I think she probably didn't wanna get married and used my accident as an excuse. Otherwise why not simply get married after I got better? Either way, they didn't tie the knot and then Rachel got into NYADA and Finn enlisted in the army, I really don't know what went down later. I know they hooked up on our high school teacher's wedding. Then he died." She looked at Libby straight in the eye. "Heroine overdose. No one even knew he was a drug-addict. I don't know..."

Quinn swallowed. "Maybe he lived through something traumatic when he was in the army, maybe he started way before that or after, when he was in college to become a teacher..." Quinn lowered her head, looking at her lap. "I didn't go to his funeral. I didn't want to. My parents are both alcoholics, I've always known what is like to live with an addict. But I never saw any of the signs in Finn. Maybe I was just too busy dealing with my own problems. To blind to see..."

Her eyes started to water. "I know I shouldn't even dare to feel guilty. That would mean I thought he and I were close, and we weren't. But I felt affection towards him once, and now he's dead. And Rachel loved that poor boy and now he's gone. I can't even imagine what she's feeling." Libby moved to sit beside Quinn and embraced her in a side-hug. "If I blame myself, then she must feel a thousand times worse than I do and instead she's always smiling and singing. She's kind to people and hardworking. I have no idea how she does it.

"I didn't go to a memorial my friends did in high school either. I stayed in Connecticut. I just couldn't face all that pain." She took a pause. "Yale wasn't working for me, I tried to join all these stupid clubs I thought my mom would like, but everybody was so... so _fake_. It wasn't as if I was surrounded by happiness, but I just didn't wanna see all my friends crying and in pain. Then I realized I just never got my closure and now I simply don't know how to feel about it.

"I tried to visualize him in heaven. Smiling and playing football. But I don't even know if it's real. Maybe he just became nothing. Maybe he's just a dead body and nothing more. He was so young, if only anybody had noticed." Quinn's tears were freely streaming down her face by now.

"Thinking of _if's _doesn't do anybody any good Quinn. It's nobody's fault. Addiction is something very difficult to deal with." Libby held onto the taller woman trying to give her some comfort.

"How does she do it?" Quinn asked to no one in particular.

"You say you guys don't talk, but I think there's a lot you need to talk to her about." Libby got up from the couch and went over to the kitchen to look for some water for Quinn.

Quinn sat there crying on the couch. All she could think about was Rachel.

Rachel's bandages were finally coming off today. After she wiggled her leg with joy and smiled to her with gratitude, Rachel went back home for the day.

"Hey San. Could you come over for a minute?" Rachel was sitting on her bed and she heard Santana walking by her room.

The woman in question entered Rachel's sanctuary. "Hey! They took your bandages off? Good for you!"

"Yes!" Rachel smiled warmly. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. I mean, you didn't particularly do anything yourself, but just showing to me that you care, really meant a lot." Rachel continued to stare at Santana with gratitude.

"I'm not sure I follow Berry..." Santana leaned on the door's frame and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I mean you putting Quinn up for the task of taking care of me. I'll thank Quinn too next time I see her of course —although I haven't seen her in a while, why is that?— Anyways, thank you Santana."

Santana arched an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to feel flattered that you think I can tell Quinn Fabray what to do, or to think you're really naive and... simply ridiculous." Santana laughed softly at this as Rachel scrunched her eyebrows in questioning. "Quinn took care of you by her own choice. There was no bet whatsoever. She said I either went along with her, or she was gonna put all of Kurt's nail-clippings she'd find, on my bed so that I would have something to cuddle with. She's an evil genius that one."

"That's gross." Rachel commented.

"I still have nightmares about it!" Santana exclaimed and then left Rachel's room.

* * *

**February 1****st****, 2022**

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Quinn, happy birthday to you."

Quinn blew the candle out. It was midnight and her wife had just woken her up with a cupcake in hand.

"Since we won't be seeing each other tomorrow. I thought I'd give you your birthday present right now." The brunette pecked Quinn on the lips, took the candle out of the cupcake and placed it on the nightstand by the bed. She then took a bag from under the bed and gave it to the blonde. "Happy birthday my love."

Quinn was happy there wasn't much light in the hotel room. She did not want her wife knowing that after all these years, she could still make her blush. The blonde took the bag and opened it. Inside, there was a box.

"I think this could be the one. I saw the commercial a couple of weeks back and thought we could give it a try. If it doesn't work, I have another present for you." Rachel explained as Quinn ripped the paper covering the box.

It was a new cellphone. Quinn took a deep breath and smiled for her wife's sake. She wasn't too happy about this gift. There was no way this phone would work for her.

"It's already fully charged." Rachel added with a smile.

Quinn took the phone out of the box and turned it on. Once it was on, Quinn waited for the display to glitch, but it didn't happen. She then dialed her wife's phone number and called her. Rachel answered her phone with a "Happy birthday!". Then the brunette became blurry under the veil of Quinn's tears.

"You can fold it and it goes in your wrist. See?" She folded it and locked it around Quinn's left wrist. "Like a watch. It also monitors your pulse and temperature and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember. It can call an ambulance on its own if you need it." Quinn's wrist-cellphone started to blink rapidly with a light-blue color. The letters _B-EMF_ shone bright on the display.

"What's this? I got a message or something?" Quinn stared at the phone with curiosity.

Rachel grabbed Quinn's wrist to look closer at the display. "No. See this cross on the corner? That means it's a health issue. Something to do with B-EMF. Google B-EMF!" She ordered the phone.

Quinn unlocked the phone from her wrist and unfolded it until it was the size of a small notebook. "B-EMF stands for Bio-Electromagnetic Field." Quinn read aloud. Both women raised their heads and looked at each other. "This makes a lot of sense actually." Quinn shrugged.

"But what does it mean?" Rachel touched the phone on the light blue symbol in the upper corner, again the initials B-EMF appeared on the screen. Rachel scrolled down and read: "There is an unusual B-EMF radiation. Please check with your doc- Quinn this is serious!" Rachel put the phone down beside the birthday cupcake.

"It can't be that serious if I've had it all my life." Quinn crossed her arms.

The brunette huffed. "Don't get bratty with me. You're going to the doctor!"

"Then you're coming with me! You need to see a doctor too!" Quinn countered.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Alright, but not for one of your precious general exams! Just for the time-traveling thingy. I'll set up an appointment for the both of us next weekend. Can we agree on that?"

Quinn nodded and then both women stayed quiet. For some reason Quinn's eyes became misty again and she leaned over Rachel and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much."

Rachel closed her eyes, feeling the weight of Quinn's feelings manifested on this simple gesture. After the moment was over, Rachel took her wife's chin and guided her down to press her lips against her own. "I love you too." She said against those lips.

"Go back to sleep! You have a big day tomorrow." The brunette whispered.

"But you said you had another gift if this one didn't work! I want that one too." Quinn said with pouty lips.

"That's greedy!" Rachel grabbed a pillow and threw it to her wife's head.

Nonetheless, Quinn caught it before it hit her. "Was it sex? I want happy birthday sex!"

* * *

"You all right?" A man, sitting on a chair next to Quinn, read.

Quinn was sitting down on a different chair pushed forward with her legs wide open. "Just a _minor _discomfort... Nothing I can't take." She exhaled.

"You keep pushing, you're going to _hurt _yourself again. Maybe bad enough that this time you _don't _recover from it. Hell, you're not completely recovered right _now. _You're never _going _to be." He read aloud again.

Quinn stood up from the chair dismissively, giving her back to the man reading from the script. "I'm doing what you taught me. I'm _soldiering _on." She grunted.

"You were _stabbed_ through the _heart_, Kate! It's a _miracle _you're still alive!" The casting assistant kept on reading.

Quinn turned around brusquely to face the man. "Do you think I've _forgotten_? Do you _imagine _a _day_ can go by when I _don't _remember what those bastards did to me?" Quinn lowered her cleavage to show a non-existent scar. "That I don't remember how it _felt _to be drugged and scared and _helpless?_" She lowered her head as if she was exhausted. "It was like it was happening all _over _again. I thought..." She swallowed from a dry throat. "God help me, there were times I thought I could _hear _them, dad. Like they were right beside me again." Quinn said quietly, almost afraid to voice out her vulnerability.

"Thank you. We'll contact you." The casting director sitting behind a table informed.

Quinn nodded. "Thank you as well. Have a good day sir." She then left the room and told her phone to text her wife that it was over and that it had gone fine.

* * *

It took four hours to apply the green make-up to Rachel's face. She would sit there and read a magazine from her phone, do crossword puzzles or even sleep. She did not even want to imagine the damage all these products were doing to her skin. She told herself it was all for the craft.

It had been a life-long dream to play Elphaba the Wicked With of the West, and now she was literally living it. She could not be happier.

There was certainly an extra benefit to playing Elphaba in film of course: She would eternally be _remembered_ as Elphaba. Thus erasing from the collective memory of the public, whoever had performed the role previously. This boosted Rachel ego to no end.

Her phone showed her wife's text message, and Rachel decided to take a _selfie _of her half green state to send to her wife. She could finally do it!

There was certainly a selfishness to giving gifts. After all, in reality they served a personal purpose. Sometimes the object of the gift itself was a manifestation of the giver's desires. Rachel pondered on this and smiled without regrets. She could be considered selfish for giving Quinn a phone for obvious personal gain. Such as the pleasure of sending her wife this greenish picture of herself; nonetheless, it did not make it any less of a great gift for Quinn. Her wife could now experience a normal life in the modern world. She was very happy with herself for never surrendering in her search for a cellphone that would work for her wife.

She remembered the light-blue signal last night and worried. Even if Quinn was right, and it was nothing serious, Rachel still wondered about what it truly meant to have her wife's condition. Were there others like her? People with difficulties with devices that would glitch or malfunction altogether? Maybe there was an association they could join and rally together against crappy phone companies.

That's stupid.

The weirdest thing about L.A. Was that it was February and it wasn't that cold at all. Rachel would go out with a light jacket and feel the perfect temperature. Other people though? They would wear _coats_! How crazy was that.

Rachel wondered if she would end up with that pathetic resistance if she stayed too long in California.

She whimpered at that.

"Please don't move Mrs. Berry." The junior make-up assistant pleaded with her. He had started to cover Rachel's other side.

"I'm sorry." Rachel smiled and the boy gave her another piercing look. "No smiling. Right. I'm sorry for that too."

If she could have sighed deeply she would've had.

* * *

**April, 2014**

"Hi Quinn? It's Rachel, you gave me your number when I had my accident, remember? I'm not stalking you or anything." There was a pause. "That was weird. I'm sorry." Rachel sighed. "Let me just start over. Hi Quinn, this is Rachel. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me. I'm thinking dinner and some drinks. I know this bar where they never ask for Id's! Anyways, give me a call when you can. It's Rachel by the way!" By the end of it, Quinn had an amused smile on her face. She had just woken up splayed on her bed, her shoulder-length hair was a mess and now her smile was virtually gone.

Why was Rachel Berry asking her out? Most importantly of all, it was a friend, asking another friend out. Right?

She still did not know how to feel about marrying Rachel. How do you go from acquaintances to wife and wife?

"This is insane." She spoke aloud.

She just need to think it out with the help of a shower!

"I didn't think you were gonna say yes. But I'm glad you did." Both girls were sitting at a Thai restaurant, eating some curry with chips while they waited for their food.

"I didn't think I was gonna say yes either. But I must admit that curiosity got the better of me." Quinn responded.

"_Ms.-"_

"_Berry." Rachel interrupted. _

"_You may begin."_

_Rachel took a deep breath and started singing. Her bandages hadn't come off yet. But she explained to the director that they would in a week._

"_A simple choice, nothing more. This or that, either or." Rachel was sitting on a stool, her voice soft and defeated. "Marry well, social whirl, business man, clever girl. Or pin my future on a green glass love. What kind of life am I dreaming of?"_

"Yes well, I just wanted to thank you. Personally, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you did for me." Rachel lifted her purse and took an envelope out of it. I did some math, and I made Kurt and Santana help of course, so it's not all me. Anyways, I think this about covers it." Rachel placed the envelope in front of Quinn.

"What's this?" The blonde woman asked.

Rachel smiled. "That's about four hundred dollars. For all the money you spent on taxis and food for us- for _me_."

"_I say gimme gimme... Gimme gimme... Gimme Gimme... That thing called love. I want it." Rachel took a breath. "Gimme gimme... That thing called love. I need it." Rachel's voice got louder now._

"_Highs and lows, tears and laughter. Gimme happy ever after. Gimme gimme that thing called love._

"I can't accept that money." Quinn placed the enveloped closer to Rachel on the table.

Rachel laughed softly through her nose. "What do you mean you can't?"

Hazel eyes pierced through Rachel. "I lost a bet. I pay my debts."

"I know there was no bet." The brunette explained. "I know you did it all by your own account. Santana told me."

"Then all the more reason not to take it." Quinn lifted a glass of water and took a sip. "If I spent that money on my own account, then it's because I thought it was money well spent."

Rachel gaped. "I still don't understand why you helped me."

"_Gimme gimme that thing called love. I crave it. Gimme gimme that thing called love. I'll brave it. Thick 'n thin, rich or poor time. Give me years and I'll want more time. Gimme gimme that thing called love." Rachel stared the casting director down because he himself was going to give her what she wanted._

"I watched you there lying on the street and how the guy just got on the bike again and pedaled away. I couldn't just sit there and do nothing." They were interrupted by a waiter bringing their food.

"Yes, but the cooking and the cleaning and the taxis. Why did you do all that?" Both of Rachel's hands were pasted on the table as she leaned forwards towards Quinn.

"I did what was necessary to get you back on your two feet. I was simply being a friend." Quinn was leaning back, both hands folded on her chest.

"_Gimme gimme that thing called love. I'm free now. Gimme gimme that thing called love. I see now." Rachel somehow managed to stand up without crutches. "Fly dove! Sing, sparrow! Gimme Cupid's famous arrow. Gimme gimme that thing called love."_

"Then why the hiding? Why cover it up saying you had lost a bet?" Rachel was certainly out for some answers.

"I didn't want you guys to make a big deal out of it." Quinn kept eye contact with Rachel.

Rachel sighed. "You're right. I'm making a big deal out of this instead of just offering my thanks —which is what we're here for after all— I'm sorry if I made you feel attacked."

"It's fine Rachel. Don't worry about it." Quinn finally started eating her food.

Rachel took a fork but then stopped on her tracks. "Please take the money. I didn't even take into account all your cleaning! And I know it doesn't even begin to cover what you did for me, but it's a start." She pleaded.

"Pay for this evening and that covers it all." Quinn smiled pleasantly.

"_I don't care if he's a nobody. In my heart he'll be a somebody, somebody to love me!" Rachel's voice filled the whole room with chills._

The brunette smiled back. Then we'll have to go on a lot of dinners!" Rachel countered.

Quinn coughed at that and drank some water to pass her food down. "That's not necessary Rachel."

"If I asked you out to dinner every night, would you say yes?" The diva kept on smiling.

Quinn felt a thump in her heart and averted her eyes. "Only if you let me pay for some of them."

"Then it's settled. We'll have dinner until I feel I've repaid you for all your hard work."

"Please don't. I don't want you to feel obligated." Quinn looked down to her plate.

Rachel cackled. "Dinner with The Quinn Fabray every night? I think I'm getting the bigger end of this bargain."

"_I need it. Gimme that thing called love. I want it!"_

Quinn felt heat surging through her neck. What was wrong with her? This was Rachel Berry, for Christ's sake! The same awkward girl from high school she had bullied relentlessly. The same animal-sweater wearing girl. Albeit, she looked radiant with that black dress and big earrings, and this almost felt like a date and she had been thoughtful enough to try to repay her for everything she had done last month. Still, this was just Rachel Berry. Only that it really wasn't.

This was her future wife.

"_Here I am, St. Valentine! My bags are packed; I'm first in line! Aphrodite don't forget me, Romeo and Juliet me! Fly, dove! Sing, sparrow! Gimme fat boy's famous arrow!" Here Rachel took the biggest breath of them all._

"_Gimme gimme that thing called love!"_

* * *

**A/N: Reviews = Love!  
**


	6. Chapter 5: Little Talks

Chapter 5: Little Talks

**April 3****rd****, 2014**

After dinner, Rachel took Quinn out for some drinks. They settled for cocktails and talked amicably.

"Kurt told me you auditioned last week. How did it go?" They were both sitting at a small booth, their knees would brush occasionally, but then Quinn decided to sit further away from Rachel.

"I think it went well. I was going to audition with the song "Funny Girl". I practiced that one during holiday break but, then I came to realize that probably everyone was auditioning with either that one or "My Man" so I selected another song." Rachel spoke quickly.

"Oh really? Which one?" The blonde sipped her drink.

Rachel took a breath before speaking. "I wanted to convey the same tone as Fanny Bryce you know? This awkward girl expecting something major in her life... So I went with "Gimme Gimme" from another Broadway musical. I think I did well."

"I've never heard that song." Quinn replied.

"Well, remind me to sing it to you sometime." The brunette smiled.

Quinn once again felt that thump in her heart. She raised her free hand to her chest and frowned.

"Are you okay?" Rachel placed a worried hand on Quinn's shoulder.

Quinn dismissed Rachel's concern and the girls continued their conversation. Rachel told Quinn she knew about her threatening Santana with Kurt's nail-clippings and they both laughed. Quinn told Rachel about her classes and what she had learned about method acting.

"I'm liking it a lot." Quinn had concluded.

Rachel frowned. "Why is that?"

"Think about it, say you're playing an astronaut caught in space. There's no way in the world you could ever truly know what it feels like to be an astronaut. All the work and effort through the years, going into the unknown, risking your life in order to achieve some greater knowledge or to provide Wi-Fi for a whole country. How can you even begin to understand someone living that life?" Quinn arched her eyebrow at Rachel.

"I'm guessing here is where method acting comes in handy?" Rachel offered.

Quinn smiled and lowered her eyes from Rachel's eyes to her lips. Clearing her throat, she continued. "Yes. For example, if this character is leaving a loved one back home in order to do their job, then you can think about going to school for the first time and leaving your parents. You find the _other_ in yourself, by relating to them on a basic level. Missing someone will always be the same, it doesn't matter if you're off to war, or space... or even kindergarten. The feeling is still as passionate. Still as strong."

Rachel smiled. "I get it yes. When I played Maria back in high school, Artie told me that unless I had sex, I wasn't gonna be able to play her well. I foolishly believed him, but I didn't manage to have sex before opening night; instead I read Romeo and Juliet, watched West Side Story, and tried to make myself believe I was a Puerto Rican girl with a forbidden love and that I desired Blaine with all my heart. I related it to my own feelings of wanting something I knew I couldn't have." Rachel's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"That's a very good example." Quinn tried to comfort Rachel with a warm smile. "Once you relate to a character or a situation, you can access the emotions in a believable way. And I know I'm over-simplifying it, but that's what I've gotten so far." Quinn chuckled and avoided Rachel's gaze.

"Well, I think your parents are getting their money's worth with your education!" The brunette searched for Quinn's eyes, but didn't succeed. There was silence between the girls after that, and they both sipped on their drinks.

"Do you like the name Maria?" Quinn asked after a moment.

Rachel looked up from her lap. "I think it's a beautiful name."

"Then you must have chosen it." Quinn muttered.

"Beg your pardon?" Rachel moved closer to Quinn and their knees brushed one again.

Rachel's face was too close for Quinn's comfort. "Nothing... I didn't say anything."

* * *

Rachel and Quinn shared a taxi going back to their respective homes.

After she had taken a hot shower, Quinn slumped down on her bed. Libby was right, she liked Rachel.

She liked her wife.

What an awful thought.

* * *

**June 8th, 2014**

"Rachel, is that you?"

Rachel was going up the stairs to Quinn's apartment and turned around right before getting to the fourth floor.

"Yes this is she speak- I mean, yes it's me." She lifted her hand to comb some of her hair behind her ear.

"It's so great seeing you! You have to tell me if you made a pact with the devil, because I could swear you look younger!" Libby went up the stairs to be closer to Rachel. "Did the cat eat your tongue? How's it going? What have you been up to?"

Rachel felt a chill going down her spine. What kind of horrible person was she? She thought she was good with names and people, but this encounter proved her wrong. She thought of herself as inconsiderate as she smiled warmly to the girl in question.

After their outing together, Quinn and Rachel had tried to stick to their promise to dine together as much as possible. They managed to have dinner together once a week; and even though they started by dining at their favorite restaurants throughout the city, eventually they had to settle for cheaper and cheaper versions of their favorite food. That was until one day, Quinn suggested they started cooking their meals. Rachel fought for simply ordering take-out and at the end they took turns between the two options.

Rachel really loved Quinn's cooking, but she did not want to abuse the blonde's kindness. April was the «Every Time Worse and Worse Restaurants» month, but May quickly became the month of «Hanging Out at Rachel's place with Kurt and Santana.» The foursome would fight over which movie to watch, but they would also share joyous laughters and teasing.

Rachel felt like they were all a family.

Nevertheless, when Rachel started asking Quinn for hangouts at her place, the blonde would refuse. The brunette decided that she would let it go for a while, but then two more weeks had past and she still did not even know what Quinn's dorm room looked like.

Something had to be done!

Quinn kept getting weirder and weirder around Rachel, to the point that even if they were at the same table, eating the same food, Santana would be the only one to hold Quinn's attention exclusively for the evening. This upset Rachel to no avail.

She needed her Quinn-time too!

Her begging and nagging and some more begging resulted in today.

"I'm doing good. How are you?" By now Libby was leaning down to hug Rachel and the brunette was opening her arms to welcome her.

"I'm great thank you! Quinn and I have been working hard helping out with this summer's acting program. But you must know that already! Quinn practically lives in your apartment." Olivia's smile could not get any wider. "Tell me about you! Why are you still in the city?"

For a moment, Rachel got distracted by Libby's face, every expression was so vivid and genuine. This girl _had _to be on a stage like _right freaking now!_

"I got a job as an understudy for an off-Broadway staging of «Funny Girl». I'm also part of the chorus... Anyways, we're still doing the workshop. They want it to be on Broadway by next year." Rachel made the gesture of crossing her fingers.

Libby crossed them too. "They're paying you, right?"

Rachel sighed. "It has become a full-time job, I'm working six days a week and today's my only free day. I even had to stop working at the diner. The good thing is that I was able to join the Actor's Equity!"

Libby lifted her hands up to her face to contain a squeal. "Oh my God Rachel! You did it! You freaking did it! You're living the dream."

Rachel chuckled at this. Who was this girl? I want to have a tiny version of her in my pocket at all times!

"Yes, working seven hours each day is sure living the dream!" Both girls laughed at this, but then stayed quiet.

"You're going to visit Quinn, I imagine. I won't keep you any longer." Then Libby whispered to herself "_from love." _and laughed.

"Beg your pardon?" Rachel scrunched her eyebrows.

"Nothing! Tell Quinn I said hi."

* * *

"Did you introduce me to your neighbor and I happened to be too drunk to remember or something?" Rachel asked, the moment Quinn opened her dorm-room's door, and _actual_ door.

Quinn panicked. "Yes! No, actually no. She... We... I... I talk about you with her."

"But she did not even introduce herself to me, she just assumed I knew her." Rachel entered the dorm-room and looked around. There were a lot of brown and light-blue tones around. It was very Quinn.

"Libby's very friendly with people, yet socially retarded. She probably forgot that you didn't know her." Quinn gestured for Rachel to sit on the bed.

"That sounds absurd. But I'll believe you because she seems like the hippie pro-marijuana type."

Quinn rushed to agree. "She is! She's crazy that one, let me tell you."

"I like her a lot. She seems the kind of person that listens." Rachel let herself fall on the bed. She was wearing shorts and her bare legs contrasted exquisitely with the white sheets. The bed itself smelled nice, it smelled like Quinn.

How strange to have become friends with two of her high school tormentors. Talk about redemption. She loved Quinn and Santana, they were both difficult sometimes, but they were very loyal in their own particular ways. This summer Santana was back in Ohio with her parents, she had said she needed more time with her roots, but when Kurt mentioned the Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx, Santana dismissed it completely.

Quinn on the other hand was cute. She got frustrated easily about the most minute of idiosyncrasies and from time to time, she would show her snobbish «rich-girl from the suburbs» side. Rachel found it funny. Nonetheless, Quinn had excellent taste, that went without question. She knew the best restaurants, the best clothes' stores, and most importantly of all: The best cafés.

The girl was an asset all-around. Never in her life had she been asked for her number so many times, even if it was actually in an effort to get to Quinn. Rachel had called some of the boys back and even gone out on dates with them. Neither had worked out of course, but she got free food!

Lying in bed at night these past two months, recollecting the day's events would make her laugh to herself. She'd stare at Finn's star on the ceiling and the pain was still there of course, but there was something new inside her heart as well. There was hope.

She had a family, she had her dream job, maybe she didn't have her leading man right beside her, but that would come in no time. There's this boy Eric, who is also part of the chorus, that keeps ogling her while they dance and sing. It is only a matter of time before he asks her out. She just knows it!

"How was your week then? Did you get the _adage _right this time?" Quinn sat on the bed with her legs crossed, facing Rachel.

The brunette lifted her leg until it reached her torso. "Yes, I'm quite flexible by now."

Quinn looked away, warmth was coming up from her center.

"Good."

Rachel lifted herself up to a sitting position. "What movie do you wanna watch?"

"Whatever you wanna watch is fine with me."

Rachel stayed quiet staring off into space, and Quinn simply watched her. Her rosy lips, her chin and neck. The blonde felt her cheeks get even warmer.

"I was wondering... How did you get into that acting program at Columbia to begin with?" Rachel stopped staring blankly at nothing in particular, and instead looked straight into hazel eyes.

"Well, I think they were delivering flyers about it at Yale, and I happened to see one. Then I looked up the program on-line and paid for the inscription and all that jazz."

Rachel smiled. "I think it's really cool that they let all kinds of young people participate. I bet you've met people from all over the country." She reasoned.

Quinn's eyes sparkled at this. "It's pretty great, I think I could squeeze you in on one of the workshops if you're interested."

"Puh-lease! Do not even mention the word «Workshop» to me _ever _again!" Rachel slumped down on the bed again with a dramatic sigh.

"That bad, huh?" Quinn positioned herself to lie on the bed next to the other girl.

"I mean, I live in New York with my friends and actually have a stable job in something I love. I'm practically living in a sitcom! I _know_ I'm very fortunate. But it's killing me! I get all these pains in my neck and back from all the dancing. You've seen the bruises on my legs Quinn! It's no walk in the park." Rachel spoke towards the ceiling.

Quinn hummed in response. "But we're young, it's supposed to be tough right now. It'll probably get calmer as we get older."

Rachel scoffed. "I sure hope so! I'd give my heart and soul for a massage right now."

Quinn understood the hint, but chose to stay quiet. She could not even bare the thought of touching Rachel's light caramel skin. A chill ran throughout her body giving her arms goosebumps.

Rachel sighed in defeat. "You're so cold to me sometimes." She whispered.

The brunette's bluntness struck Quinn like a punch to the stomach. "I don't mean to be." She replied in a whisper as well.

Rachel turned around on the bed to lie on her stomach and face the blonde.

"But you are." She took a deep breath. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I finally feel like I can call you my friend. But still, you barely touch me, you're always cutting our hugs short and... Sometimes when we're with Kurt and Santana, it's like I'm not even in the same room as you guys." Rachel's eyes started to glow. "And-" She took another breath. "And if I knew that _that_ was the way you treated everyone, then I would just accept it; but it's not. I'm the only one you treat like this. You've even started to cuddle with Kurt on the couch while we watch movies. I guess..." She let herself fall on the bed, her face hidden with the white sheets. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm jealous." She mumbled.

Quinn could feel her heart constrict with pain. This was a difficult situation. How do you approach someone and tell them they'll be married to you in the future? It's just so strange. Quinn liked Rachel, she really did. The more she knew about her, the more she liked... And now, now Quinn did not know what to do. It's not like she wanted Rachel to know! That'd be so embarrassing! Hi, I know I've been your bully for like a thousand years, but I've been getting to know you these past few months and now I wanna date you, and kiss you, and hug you, and cuddle with you! What was Quinn supposed to say?

Hearing Rachel say that she wanted Quinn's attention felt like rainbows and sunshine, but still... How do you go from point A to point B? How do you go about marrying somebody?

"I'm sorry." Quinn placed a hand on Rachel's back and started caressing the other girl. "I'm just not much of a tactile person. I- Kurt is just... He's- I don't even know what to say." _He's your replacement. _Quinn thought.

Rachel lifted her face from the bed. "I'm gonna go. I'm sorry. I just- I get needy sometimes. It's stupid."

The brunette gave Quinn a weak smile and left the room.

"Oh God." Quinn voiced to no one in particular.

* * *

**August 17****th****, 2014**

Quinn missed Rachel. Everything reminded her of the brunette. Damn that stupid idea of dining together fucking everywhere! Now every single fucking coffee-shop, restaurant, diner and bar reminded her of Rachel Berry.

It was not as if they hadn't seen each other _ever _again. But every time they saw each other, it was only because Santana would sometimes invite Quinn to the trio's apartment. Nevertheless, the moment the two girls in question would meet each other's eyes, Rachel would bolt to her room and never come out again.

She missed Rachel's weird cackle, she missed using her as an excuse to try new vegan food, she missed how her nose would wrinkle every time she laughed, she missed seeing her randomly practice her dance moves and fighting with her over movies to watch. She missed her friend.

Approaching her dorm-room's door, Quinn heard crying coming from the other side. She hesitated for a moment on whether or not to open the door. If it was a burglar, they were probably crying because there was nothing worth stealing. But what if it was her visitor from the future? With that last thought, she finally opened the door.

On her bed, there was a very naked and very pregnant Rachel Berry.

She stopped crying after she saw Quinn, but did not even bother to cover herself up. "I WAS HAVING A BATH! I WAS FINALLY HAVING A NICE BATH AND NOW I'M HERE! STUCK WITH YOU!" She started sobbing again.

Quinn's mouth was gaping.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU AND YOUR STUPID HAZEL EYES!" She kept on crying. She was quite literally having a tantrum.

Quinn was beyond overwhelmed. There was so much skin on display, Rachel's breasts were big and round and her belly was actually kind of cute.

"AND NOW MY BABY IS ALL ALONE WITH SANTANA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Rachel gave Quinn her back.

God that _ass. _Quinn started to feel light-headed.

"Give me a child with your brown eyes." Rachel spoke in a mocking tone. "_You _did this to me. My back hurts all the time, my breasts are too freaking sensitive and my bladder is the size of a hummingbird." She muttered with hate. "Then, you leave me all _alone_ to travel the world and when I _finally_ manage to squeeze in some «me-time» I get _this_? Someone up there hates me!"

As Rachel talked, Quinn went over to her closet and got more bedsheets to cover Rachel.

"Why do you need me this time? Let's just get it over with!" Quinn was about to cover Rachel up, when the brunette turned around to face her.

The blonde stood there motionless holding the sheets. "Why- Why do I _need _you?" She stuttered.

"What's the date?" Rachel seethed.

Quinn gulped, in that position and with that look, Rachel looked like Kate Winslet's naked scene on Titanic.

"August 17th, 2014 ma'am." Quinn stood straighter.

Rachel yanked the sheets from Quinn and covered herself. "Whoa... I'm ten years older than you!" Rachel grabbed Quinn's face in her hands. "You're so beautiful. I miss you _so_ much. I know this doesn't make any sense to you but I just need to say it to someone: I can't sleep if you're not home. I miss you Quinn. I know we talk all the time, but I miss you holding me." Rachel was kneeling on the bed while Quinn stood perplexed.

"Come here Honey." Rachel whispered as she guided Quinn's face closer to her own.

Quinn's heart was beating a mile per minute. She closed her eyes when she felt Rachel's breath on her lips. Then... Nothing.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Ugh!" Rachel grunted in frustration as she separated from Quinn. Then she muttered some chastising things to herself. For a moment, both women looked at each other in silence."What's going on with your Rachel right now?"

The blonde inhaled profoundly, trying to gain some breath back. "Uh- We, She-..." Quinn blinked harshly. "We're not talking anymore. You- She... visited me here for the first time and... and now we don't talk."

Rachel looked at Quinn with pity. "Aww sweetie. I'm so sorry. You see... Back then I wasn't- I didn't feel- Ugh!" The bedsheets covering Rachel fell down and both women looked down to the big pregnant-woman breasts on display. "May I borrow some clothes from you?"

Quinn immediately rushed to her own closet for some clothes. She had a big shirt from Sam she loved to wear to bed and gave that to Rachel.

After getting semi-decent, Rachel and Quinn sat down on the bed, one next to the other.

"Right now she doesn't see you the way you see her. She's- I'm very touchy, and right now she feels rejected by you; by her friend." Rachel inhaled. "I don't mean to discourage you. On the contrary Quinn. You have to... quite literally: Go get her." Rachel placed a firm hand on the blonde's thigh. "You have to take into account that she admires you so much, she looks up to you... And, you not treating her like everyone else, hurts her. I know where you're coming from, I know you're a bit frigid around her because you're scared. But Quinn, you like her... and you should start acting like it!"

Quinn started to feel nauseous. This Rachel's bluntness made the other Rachel look like an ant. "She admires me?"

"That's all you got from what I said?" Rachel chuckled.

"It's like you're telling me the sun admires the moon." Quinn looked down to her own hands. "Rachel is so talented and driven... I don't know what she could admire from me."

Rachel laughed at this. Quinn looked up with hurt in her face and the older woman immediately stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry. I just- You'd have to be in my head right now." Rachel lightly bumped her shoulder with Quinn's. "I think you're pretty great Quinn and so does your Rachel."

"How will I do this? I'm so scared I'll screw up and your future won't come true." The younger woman whispered.

"I don't think you can fail Quinn. You've already done it."

* * *

**February 11****th****, 2022**

"You were awful! I mean... I think about it now and it's funny, but back then you were simply terrible." Quinn chuckled to herself.

Rachel huffed. "I'm not finding this amusing at all Quinn."

"You asked!" Quinn placed a hand on her wife's thigh and caressed her up and down.

"Give me the details! I wanna know exactly how it went down." Rachel turned on her seat to look better at her wife.

Quinn looked out the taxi's window. It was sunny today out in L.A. And there were plenty of people out for brunch on the streets. She still hadn't received a callback from the Batwoman production and, inside her purse, she was holding the physical copy of the electroencephalogram they asked her to take last week. "I'm sorry Rachel, but if I tell you, you might act differently and I really wanna keep that memory intact. I love that memory."

Rachel whined in response.

Quinn leaned towards her wife and kissed her temple. Rachel had crossed her arms and was now pouting. "You told me our daughter's name is Maria."

"You were the one that told _me." _Quinn countered.

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows. "Gosh! Then _who _chose the name?"

"Beats me! We can name her something else if you want." Quinn offered.

"No! I've already pictured her as Maria. She's Maria to me now, if we change it, then it's just gonna be weird."

Brown met hazel in a staring contest until both women laughed really hard. The taxi driver looked at them through the rear-view mirror.

Lesbians!

* * *

"Hi, Rachel and Quinn Fabray to see Doctor Kapur."

The woman across the counter smiled while she nodded, then she asked them to sit down while she let the doctor know they were already there.

"I'm so nervous." Rachel whispered to her wife.

Quinn kissed the brunette on the cheek. "It'll be alright Baby. Don't worry so much."

"But what if you have a brain tumor? It's always a brain tumor!" Rachel murmured, her eyes bolted out like she was going insane.

"She's waiting for you. It's through the hall, the second room to your right." The receptionist explained.

Both women stood up and walked hand in hand to the doctor's office.

"Please come in, the door's open." Rachel pushed the door open. Inside there was a woman resting her hip on a desk. Doctor Kapur's eyes were big and brown although a bit hidden behind old glasses.

"Hello." She said as she went over to sit behind her desk. "Please sit down."

Both Quinn and Rachel sat down in front of the doctor's desk.

"I studied the results you sent me as soon as I got them and let me say that I'm just a general doctor, and this is certainly beyond me. Regardless, a friend of mine studies Bio-Electromagnetism. When I mentioned to her about the strange waves you emit, she offered to take a look at your tests. She will be joining us shortly through Skype."

Quinn and Rachel both looked at each other, worry was present in Rachel's eyes.

Doctor Kapur opened her phone until it was the size of a small monitor. "Hello? Professor Hari are you there?"

"Where is she from?" Rachel asked.

"She's from Finland." The doctor clarified.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" There was a chubby white-haired woman on the screen.

"Yes we can hear you. This is Mrs. Fabray and her wife Mrs. Berry." Doctor Kapur introduced.

Quinn and Rachel waved awkwardly at the woman. "Nice to meet you." Offered the brunette.

"Hi yes. Nice to meet you too! I love today's technology! This is amazing!" The woman had a thick accent and her voice was cheery. "Yes, let me explain very briefly what we're doing here." She cleared her throat. "Let's see, in past years me and my team had been studying electromagnetism, that is to say, the study of electromagnetic fields —a force composed of both electricity and magnetism— and its effects on the human body. With our research we discovered that both cellphones and computers emit an electromagnetic force that is actually dangerous for the human body, almost like slowly microwaving your brain! Can you believe it?" She laughed to herself.

Both Quinn and Rachel tried to force a laugh, but, in reality they were too nervous to laugh genuinely.

"Anyways, our research created some buzz, so then my university was sponsored by Nokia, you know Nokia right?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Well, we were sponsored by them to develop a phone that did not emit these harmful fields of electromagnetism. In order to do my job though, it occurred... to my son actually! To study Human electromagnetism —thinking that maybe the solution lied in making the electromagnetic field, a mobile phone is bound to emit, similar to the one produced by the human body, thus resulting benign to its users— Therefore, we started investigating Biological Electromagnetic Fields or how we like to call it: «B-EMF». The phone that gave you the tip to go to the doctor was actually developed through our studies! We succeeded in reproducing a field compatible with the one the human body already produces."

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. WHAT THE FUCK?

The Finnish professor raised a shaky hand holding a glass of water and drank some of it. Rachel saw a drop of sweat going down her wife's temple.

"As I was saying, when I saw the results of Mrs. Farbay's test I was completely amazed! The field you produce is the strongest I've ever seen in a human body. My son is actually travelling tomorrow to Los Angeles to meet with you. He's really excited! You're basically a nature's phenomena Mrs. Fabray!" The woman smiled with joy.

"But what does it mean for her that she produces such a strong field?" Rachel's patience was running out.

"I haven't a clue!" The chubby woman shrugged. "But exciting things can come from studying this!" She assured.

"So you can't tell us anything?" The brunette countered.

"Not until we do some further testing. My son will arrive tomorrow, and he still has to look for accommodations and such. We are truly excited about meeting you Mrs. Fabray. I think it will be our privilege working with you."

Rachel sighed in disappointment. She wanted answers, not more testing.

* * *

"She didn't say anything! That was a complete waste of time!" Rachel paced around the hotel room back and forth, flailing her arms like a mad woman.

"Baby calm down. It's gonna be alright." Quinn was sitting on a sofa, looking at her wife as if she were a clock's pendulum.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Rachel stopped her march and looked straight at Quinn. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down. I can't bear seeing you get hurt. You know I can't bear it." She kneeled down in front of her wife's legs and rested her face on the blonde's lap. "I love you too much to lose you. I can't lose you."

Both women looked at each other's eyes intently. After a moment Quinn blinked and looked away.

"There's something I need to tell you before your doctor's appointment tomorrow." The blond woman took her wife's face in her hands and caressed the brunette's cheeks with her thumbs. "My-" She swallowed hard. "My condition is what makes your time-traveling possible."

* * *

**A/N: I am overwhelmed by the follows! This is truly amazing. Thank you so much for your reviews as well. I kept telling myself that there were people wanting to know what happens next! Get to it damn it!  
By the way, I have no idea what's going on with Glee right now, I only watched the Demi Lovato episodes because I love her... And that's all I've got so far.  
**

**That is why this story is "slightly" AU.**

**Please let me know your theories for what the freaking fuck is going on with this story or where is it going. I'd love to hear them.**

**Also, eventually this story will set out to become a domestic faberry family sorta thing. So any fluffy things you wish to see, please let me know and I'll try my best to include them in the story.**

**Reviews = Love!  
**


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